Theme 4 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.

Task 1. Learn the following words and word combinations.

polyclinic	['pɔlɪ'klɪnɪk]	поликлиника
private		частный
municipal hospital	[mju:'nɪsɪp(ə)l] ['hɔspɪt(ə)l]	городская больница
district polyclinic	['dɪstrɪkt] ['pɔlɪ'klɪnɪk]	районнаяполиклиника
shift	[ʃɪft]	смена
therapeutist	[θerə'pju:tɪst]	терапевт
general practitioner (GP)	['ʤen(ə)r(ə)l][præk'tɪʃ(ə)nə]	врач общей практики
registry	['reʤɪstrɪ]	регистратура(в поликлинике
patients’ card	['peɪʃ(ə)nts][kɑːd]	карта амбулаторного больного
X-rayroom	['eksreɪ][ru:m]	рентгеновский кабинет
dentaldepartment	['dent(ə)l] [dɪ'pɑːtmənt]	стоматологическое отделение
regardless	[rɪ'gɑːdləs]	вне зависимости от чего-либо
to complain of	[kəm'pleɪn]	жаловаться на
to take blood pressure	[teɪk][blʌd] ['preʃə]	измерятькровяноедавление
blood test	[blʌd] [test]	анализ крови
to undergo medical tests	[ʌndə'gəu]['medɪk(ə)l] [tests]	сдавать анализы

Task 2.Find the following words and word-combinations in the text, reproduce the context they are used in and translate it into Russian.

1. private medicine

2. institutions of maternity and child protection

3. outpatient clinics

4. urgent and emergency aid

5. certificate of obligatory medical insurance

6. diseases’ preventive measures

7. diagnostic services

8. consultation hours

9. proper treatment

10. to undergo some specialtests

Task 3.Answer the questions.

1. By what criteria the outpatient medical units are divided into?

2. What groups do outpatient medical units form?

3. Which document is necessary to get medical care free of charge?

4. What is the main aim of any polyclinic?

5. What information is contained in the patients’ card?

6. What departments and specialists does a polyclinic have?

7. By what means a person can register to visit doctor at the polyclinic?

8. What does it mean to ‘register’ at polyclinic?

9. What does the therapist’s working day consist of?

10. Which tests may a therapeutist prescribe the patient to undergo?

11. Can a person receive medical help at home and in what case?

Task 4.Match the English sentences to their Russian equivalents.

Each polyclinic has a number of general practitioners (therapeutists), doctors specialized in some particular medical field (for example, such as allergist, oculist, neuropathologist, surgeon etc.) and nurses.	Для получения бесплатной медицинской помощи необходимо иметь полис обязательного медицинского страхования.
To receive medical care at polyclinic one should register	Только после этого устанавливается диагноз, назначается лечение и предоставляются рекомендации.
According to the age criteria there are polyclinics for children (up to fourteen years old) and for adults.	Полис обязательного медицинского страхования выдается каждому гражданину России вне зависимости от его пола и возраста.
Health services in Russia are represented by state, municipal and private medical units.	В целом ответственность поликлиники сосредоточена на профилактике и выявлении заболеваний среди населения, проживающего на территории, которая находится в ведении поликлиники.
Only after that the diagnosis is made, proper treatment is prescribed and recommendations are given.	Система здравоохранения в России представлена государственной, муниципальной и частной медициной.
To be able to receive medical care free of charge a person is to obtain the certificate of obligatory medical insurance	На основании возрастного критерия поликлиники подразделяются на детские поликлиники (до 14-летнего возраста) и поликлиники для взрослых.
In general responsibilities of any policlinic are centered on prevention and revelation of diseases among people living on the territory the policlinic is responsible for.	Поликлиника включает лабораторию, рентгеновский кабинет, отделение физиотерапии, хирургическое и стоматологическое отделения.
If the person is not sure what specialist to visit, then he is to register with atherapeutist (general practitioner) at his local polyclinic.	Для того чтобы получить медицинскую помощь в поликлинике необходимо записаться на прием.
Polyclinics have their own laboratories, X-ray rooms, physiotherapy, surgery and dental departments	Если нет уверенности, к какому врачу записаться на прием, то необходимо записаться на прием к терапевту своей поликлиники по месту жительства.
This certificate is given to every Russian citizen regardless of gender and age.	Врачебный персонал поликлиники включает терапевтов (врачей общей практики), узких специалистов (к примеру, таких как аллерголог, окулист, невропатолог, хирург и др.), а также медсестер.

Task 5.Translate the given sentences into Russian, close your book and translate them back to English.

1. When I came to the polyclinic I went straight to look at the specialists’ timetable.

2. I called to the registry of the polyclinic I assigned to and asked whether Dr. Smirnova has consultation hours on Monday.

3. My therapeutist prescribed me to undergo a general blood test.

4. A part of his working day a general practitioner spends visiting patients at their homes.

5. The doctor recommended his patient to take a sick-leave for several days.

6. He was prescribed to follow a strict bed regime.

7. The patient was X-rayed and the results turned out to be normal.

8. The patient’s temperature was running high.

9. He registered by the internet for the oculist consultation on Friday at 9 a.m.

10. As he lost his certificate of obligatory medical insurance he had to go to the insurance office to obtain a new one.

Task 6.Retell the text.