How can I get medical care in Belarus? The most affordable option is to receive medical care at a polyclinic. You can also take out insurance, visit medical centers as needed, or sign a contract with one medical center for a year.
— Each person decides for himself where and how it is convenient for him to receive medical care. Today and in many polyclinics all conditions have been created in order to undergo a medical examination and get an initial snapshot of one's health condition, which will help to draw up a further plan of observation, treatment and rehabilitation. Someone applies to different medical institutions, in particular to get opinions of several doctors for comparison. But, in my opinion, observation and treatment in one medical center has a number of advantages,” says Irina Stepanovna Abelskaya, Chief Physician of RCMC.
— What makes a long-term contract with a health center better than other health care options?
— First of all, it is a unified medical history and the possibility of observation by specialists who can contact each other and determine a team approach to patient management. This is especially true for complex patients with chronic diseases, a large set of diseases that require an interdisciplinary approach.
Another of the main advantages is the stage of treatment. It is important to understand when a patient needs hospitalization, any rehabilitation measures, and to transfer him or her to this stage in time. Our medical center has all stages of medical care, starting from emergency, outpatient, inpatient and high-tech care, and ending with rehabilitation.
— What health care options does the Republican Clinical Medical Center offer?
— The first is check-up programs. We believe this is the most appropriate choice for people who are not complaining about anything, but want to know the status of their health.
Check-up programs include elements of a modern dispensary, but, of course, they are more expanded and allow for a deep snapshot of a person's health status. These programs include a wide range of laboratory tests, instrumental examinations.
For example, if we are talking about a woman of 49 years old, who does not complain about her health, leads an active lifestyle, the check-up will necessarily include a general blood test, a biochemical blood test (we always monitor the state of the lipid spectrum, paying attention to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases), ultrasound of internal organs, superficial structures. For a woman will be obligatory gynecologist examination with the entire scope of research, which is performed in outpatient conditions, consultation of a mammologist with breast examination, breast ultrasound, at age - mammography. Cardiac and brachiocephalic ultrasound and possibly fibrogastroduodenoscopy and fibrocolonoscopy may also be included in the program.
This is a wide range of examinations, which significantly exceeds the general approaches to medical examination and gives the patient the opportunity to screen cardiovascular diseases and oncopathology screening in the first place.
Our medical center carries out such programs quite quickly. We conclude a contract with the patient and within a maximum of one month, at a convenient day and time for the patient, we carry out such screening examinations.
This is a one-time contract form for people who are confident, knowledgeable about their health.
But there are people with chronic diseases who nevertheless closely monitor the course of these diseases. They need to periodically monitor certain laboratory parameters and consult with specialized specialists. These are, for example, patients with diabetes mellitus. For them there is a special clinical protocol for diagnosis and monitoring.
In such cases, we can recommend a contract for an outpatient care. It will include visits to all specialists, all possible laboratory and instrumental tests, and rehabilitation measures that are indicated for a particular disease or condition. This is already an annual contract, which will allow a patient with chronic pathology not to bring their condition to an exacerbation, subcompensation or, even worse, decompensation stage.
In such cases, more and more often it is necessary to compensate for some emergency, urgent conditions. And such people often need to realize that they are under control all the time.
For these patients, we offer a program of annual comprehensive health care, which includes emergency ambulance care, outpatient care and inpatient care.
Our medical center has different areas of inpatient treatment: both complex interventions and high-tech medical care. We deal with all emergency conditions: acute cerebral circulatory disorders and acute coronary syndrome.
— It turns out that after the conclusion of such a contract a person gets access to the consultation of any doctor, all laboratory and instrumental tests?
— Yes, although this is done through a primary care center - a general practitioner. Each patient who is served by us under the contract is assigned a doctor to whom he or she can address all questions and receive referrals for consultations with specific specialists.
The overwhelming majority of patients are very literate people who themselves are quite well versed in medical indicators. But still, the general practitioner acts as a kind of conductor, who will figure out at the start what the patient needs to do to make an approximate diagnosis and identify the doctors he or she needs.
— First of all, it is very important that the medical center has specialized specialists. A cardiologist, ophthalmologist, neurologist, ENT doctor are mandatory for the elderly. Only in a team it is possible to take the most individual approach to each patient. In our medical center we have a very high degree of personalized approach.
We have wonderful medical institutions of different forms of ownership in our country. And the Republican Clinical Medical Center is among the best. Once again, I would like to emphasize all stages of medical care that can be received here, the possibility of long-term follow-up, and the solution of all patient issues: diagnosis, treatment, observation, prevention, medical check-ups, temporary disability registration, and the issuance of preferential prescriptions.
In addition, we have, of course, a top-notch pool of physician specialists, mid-level specialists, technicians, which is very important today.
Our medical center has absolutely comfortable conditions of stay and the ability to quickly receive medical care. And this is one of the main qualities for which many medical centers struggle.
And another very important aspect, which sometimes remains invisible to our patients and even many specialists, is the safe provision of medical care, first of all, infection and epidemiological safety. This is organized, I am not afraid to say, at the highest level in the Republic of Belarus.
These strengths place Republic Clinical Medical Center among the best health care facilities in the country.
— How many patients do you manage on an annual contract?
— We have been serving up to 1,500 people under direct annual contracts for a sufficient number of years.
I note that we also work with some insurance companies on voluntary medical insurance programs.
— When can I sign an annual service contract with RCMC?
— In December and January, we have a campaign to sign long-term health care contracts for different types of medical services: outpatient and outpatient annual services and comprehensive annual medical services. It is important to have a well thought out plan to control your health in 2025 in order to live it actively and vigorously.
Interviewer: Christina Goloviychuk
Photo: Anna Zankovich, Maxim Isaenko, Alexander Zadorin
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