At the Polyclinic

Health services in Russia are represented by state, municipal and private medical units. Medical preventive units representing state and municipal health services include a wide range of medical institutions: hospitals, specialized hospitals, clinics, outpatient clinic, medical institutions of maternity and child protection, medical institutions of urgent and emergency aid, sanatorium and health resorts.

Outpatient medical units are divided into five groups according to the number of patients they can provide with medical care in one shift: local, district, municipal, regional hospitals and polyclinics. To receive medical care free of charge a person is to obtain the certificate of obligatory medical insurance. This certificate is given to each Russian citizen regardless of gender and age.

Polyclinic is a medical preventive institutionaimed to provide population with diseases’ preventive measures, medical aid at home, diagnostic services and examinations of temporary disability. In general, responsibilities of any policlinic are centered on prevention,prophylaxisand treatment of diseases among local people. People are assigned to the polyclinic according to the place they live, work or study and have their personal ‘patient’s card’ containing information about their visits to doctors, results of laboratory tests and other relevant information.

According to the age criteria there are polyclinics for children (up to fourteen years old) and for adults. Polyclinics have their own laboratories, X-ray rooms; physiotherapy, surgery and dental departments. Each polyclinic has a number of general practitioners (therapeutists), doctors specialized in some particular medical field (e.g. allergists, oculists, neuropathologists, surgeons etc.) and attached nurses.

To receive medical care at polyclinic one should be registered there. This can be done by phone, personally orthrough the Internet. To register means to provide information about yourself and to book the date and time of visiting the doctor according to the polyclinic’s timetable.

A therapeutist working day consists of consultation hours and home visits. While consulting a therapeutist asks patients about any complaints they may have and makes notes in the patients’ card. Then he takes patients’ blood pressure, feels his pulse and listens to his lungs and heart. He may also check patients’ temperature. If it is necessary for making a diagnosis the therapeutistrecommends his patient to undergo some specialtests: urinalysis, X-ray examination, blood test, etc. Only after the diagnosis is proved, proper treatment is prescribed and recommendations are given.

Date: 2015-12-12; view: 1465; Нарушение авторских прав