Polyclinics

A polyclinic, is a place where a wide range of health care services (including diagnostics) can be obtained without the need for an overnight stay. Polyclinics are sometimes co-located with a hospital.

A typical polyclinic is an outpatient facility that houses general medical practitioners (GPs) such as doctors and nurses to provide ambulatory care and some acute care services but lacks the major surgical and pre- and post-operative care facilities commonly associated with hospitals. Besides GPs a polyclinic can house outpatient departments of some medical specialties i.e. gynecology, dermatology, ophthalmology, ENT, neurology, pulmonology, cardiology, endocrinology etc. In some university cities polyclinics house outpatient departments of all the teaching hospital in one building.

Polyclinics are common type of healthcare facility in many countries incl. France, Germany (long tradition), Switzerland and most of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (mixed Soviet-German model), as well as in former Soviet republics such as Russia and Ukraine;and in many countries across Asia and Africa. Recent Russian governments have attempted to replace the polyclinic model introduced during Soviet times with a more western model. However, this has failed.India has also set up huge numbers of polyclinics for former defence personnel. The network envisages 426 polyclinics in 343 districts of the country which will benefit about 33 lakh ex-servicemen residing in remote and far-flung areas.Polyclinics are also the backbone of Cuba's primary care system and have been credited with a role in improving that nation's health indicators.

If a person falls ill he will ring up his local polyclinic and call in a doctor. When his condition isnt very poor and he has no high temperature, he will go to the local polyclinic and a physician will exam him there.

Many specialists including therapeutists, neurologists, surgeons and others work at the polyclinic. During the medical examination a physician usually asks his patient what he complains of and according to the complaint carries on the medical examination. The physician listens to the patients heart and lungs and measures his blood pressure and if necessary ask the patient to take the temperature. The laboratory findings which include blood analyses, the analyses of urine and other tests help a physician to make correct diagnoses and administer a proper treatment.

In addition to their consulting hours at the polyclinic local physicians go out to the calls to examine those patients who are seriously ill and whose condition is bad. Such sick persons receive a sick-leave. They usually follow a bed regimen. Any physician of the polyclinic knows his patients very well because he treats only a definite number of patients

At the local polyclinic every patient has his personal patients card which is filled in by his physician. Everything about the patient-the diagnoses of the disease, the administrations made by the doctor, the course of the disease, the changes in the patients condition after the treatment are written down in the card.

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