Public Health System in the Russian Federation (Russia)

The Russian Public Health Care System is based on the principles of humanity and its availability to those who need medical assistance.

There are different kinds of medical institutions in the Russian Federation, such as polyclinics, dispensaries, hospitals , emergency ambulance service, sanitary-epidemiological centers, etc.

The main unit in the Russian Public Health Service is a polyclinic. Every polyclinic is in charge of a definite district and provides the inhabitants of this district with different kinds of medical aid.

Different specialists work at the polyclinic such as therapeutists, surgeons, ophthalmologists, otorhinolaryngologists, cardiologists, neurologists and others.

Each doctor has his consulting hours. If а person is unwell he goes to his district therapeutist, calls a doctor in or may get medical aid at the place of his work. When a patient comes to a doctor the doctor asks him about his complaints, feels his pulse, listens to his heart and lungs, examines his throat, palpates his abdomen. The nurse takes the patient's temperature, measures his blood pressure. All the data of physical examination are written down in the patient's card. If the diagnosis is not clear the doctor asks the patient to undergo some analyses. If the symptoms are outside the therapeutist's competence he refers a patient to a certain specialist. When the diagnosis is made the doctor administers a proper treatment.

Every day before or after his consulting hours a district doctor makes calls and visits those patients who cannot come to the polyclinic themselves.

If a person falls ill late at night or the disease breaks up acutely and suddenly or there is a risk to patient's life there are special facilities for such cases: emergency ambulance service which operates day and night.

Those patients who need in-patient assistance are hospitalized. There are different kinds of hospitals in Russia: general hospitals, infectious disease hospitals, mental disease hospitals, oncologic clinics, maternity homes and others..

Each hospital has wards for patients, procedure rooms, dressing rooms, physiotherapy rooms, X-ray rooms, operating theatres and others.

Everything concerning patients' health and doctor's prescriptions are written down in the patient's case history. All doctor's prescriptions are carried out by nurses. They take the patients' temperature and blood pressure, give injections, infusions. apply mustard plasters. When a patient is discharged from the hospital he is given а medical certificate. According to this document he receives his sick leave pay.

One of the main principles of the Russian Public Health System is disease prevention. It is always more easy to prevent a disease than to treat it. That's why regular medical checkups are carried out once a year at schools, universities, institutes and at places of work. They include X-ray check, blood analysis and physical examination. Children undergo an obligatory vaccination.

V. Ответьте на вопросы словосочетаниями из текста.

1. What principles is the Russian Public Health System based on? 2. What kinds of medical institutions are there in Russia? 3. What is the main unit in the Russian Health System? 4. What specialists work at a polyclinic? 5. When does a district doctor receive patients? 6. Where can a person get medical aid? 7. What does a nurse do when a patient comes to a district doctor? 8. What does a doctor do examining a patient? 9. Where are all the data of physical examination written down? 10. What does a doctor do when a diagnosis is not clear? 11. In what cases does a district doctor refer his patients to a specialist? 12. When does a district doctor administer treatment?13. When does a district doctor make calls? 14. In what cases can a person call emergency ambulance service? 15. When does an emergency ambulance service operate? 16. What patients are usually hospitalized? 17. What types of hospitals are there in Russia? 18. What rooms are there in each hospital? 19. Where are all the data concerning patients' state written down? 20. Whom are doctor's prescriptions carried out by? 21. What is a person given when he is discharged from the hospital? 22. What is a medical certificate necessary for? 23. What is one of the main principles in the Russian Health System? 24. Why is disease prevention one of the main principles in the Russian Public Health System? 25. What is carried out once a year? 26. What does all the population of Russia undergo once a year? 27. What do regular medical check-ups include? 28. What should children undergo?

VI. Выпишите из текста и запомните название специалистов, работающих в поликлинике.

VII. Выпишите и запомните значение следующих английских словосочетаний:

district doctor, to make calls, consulting hours, to call the doctor in, to feel the pulse, to listen to the heart, to listen to the lungs, to undergo analysis, to administer treatment, emergency help, maternity home, dressing room, case history, to carry out prescriptions, sick leave pay, medical check up, insurance medicine, to pay for services.

VIII. Расскажите о:

1. Работе участкового врача;

2. О работе скорой помощи;

3. О работе в больнице;

4. О профилактической работе.

IX. Расскажите о системе здравоохранения в России, используя упражнение 6 в качестве плана.