District Doctor’s Work

City therapeutic district is a part of the territory under the supervision of the polyclinic. A district doctor and a nurse attached to him serve the constant population of their district of usually 3 or 4 thousand residents.

In the morning the district doctor usually sees his patients at the polyclinic. After his consulting hours - usually in the afternoon - he makes a daily round of visits to the district. The district therapeutist is a real family doctor. Whenever summoned he calls on the patient, examines him or her at home, gives a diagnosis and prescribes the necessary treatment. He continues to call on the patients afterwards, checks on his state of health and if necessary changes the treatment. The district doctor also makes regular visits to chronic patients or those who are registered as follow-up cases with a specialized clinic. Close contact with the inhabitants of the district gives the possibility to a doctor for better treatment, prophylaxis, healthy home surroundings of the patients.

A good district doctor must not only be an experienced specialist, but he must also have a good bedside manner. In this case he will always gain the patients' confidence and this is very helpful in defeating the disease. Medical nurses and paramedical personnel help the doctor. A nurse visits the patients, carries out necessary procedures and vaccination.

District Doctor’s Working Day

Correspondent: Good morning, Doctor Ivanov. My name is Sergey Sidorov. I am a correspondent of the paper "Health".

Doctor: Good morning. What can I do for you?

C: I would like to interview you about your work if you don't mind.

D: Of course, I don't. What would you like to know?

C: To begin with, tell me a few words about your working day.

D: I start at 8 a.m. and work full time till 4 p.m. I also take night shifts.

C: Do you consult your patients at the polyclinic all day long or probably you're engaged in some other occupation?

D: Well, I usually see (examine) my patients in the morning and after 12 p.m. I make rounds of visits to the district with the nurse, who carries out all the necessary procedures and vaccinations.

C: I see. So what do you do during your consulting hours at the polyclinic?

D: My duties are as follows: I must examine the patients, make a correct diagnosis and prescribe (administer) a proper treatment. If needed I write out prescriptions and sick leaves.

C: And how do you go to calls?

D: I call on the patient whenever summoned and do the same things as at the polyclinic. I continue to visit the patient at home afterwards, check his state of health and if necessary change the treatment. I also make regular visits to chronic patients and to some follow-ups.

C: That's clear. By the way, how many patients do you see daily at the polyclinic and at home?

D: As a matter of fact, the registry states a certain number of the visitors for a district doctor. I am supposed to consult about 30 persons, but of course, the number of patients varies every day and depends upon many factors - the season and the current epidemic, to be more exact. I can consult 15 patients at one day and 50 at another. As for the patients served at home, they make about 10 people.

C: Oh, that's a lot of people! It must be really hard to deal with such a number of patients. How do you cope with it?

D: Certainly, I get really tired but I try not to think about it. I just do my best to give medical aid to those who expect me to, and I am obliged to do it by all means. That's my duty as a doctor.

C: One more question: what is the most significant feature of a doctor in your point of view?

D: I consider that it is an ability to deal with the patients, to gain their confidence. My practice shows that in the majority of cases it is even more important than medical help itself.

C: Thank you very much. It was a real pleasure to talk to you. Good-bye.

D: You are welcome. Good-bye.