"Digitalization on animal power..." How to get an appointment with a doctor in a polyclinic

Well-known Russian analyst Mikhail Krutikhin described his misadventures in trying to get regular examination prescribed by his attending physician:

“Digitalization, digitalization in Russian. I will explain in detail, excuse me.

The therapist at the clinic directs for a regular chest x-ray. Enters the direction into the "system". Do you think the patient is told the date and time of the procedure? And here are the figurines. The "system" gives a "window" for a month, during which you can register through the network portal or by calling the mysterious phone 122.

Exit to the portal from the house gives nothing. The "system", in order for it to fail, reports that there are no free intervals for recording via the Internet during the specified period.

We make inquiries at the clinic's registry. "It's better not to call at 122, they won't help you. Come here by 7.30 in the morning, we'll sign you up through that terminal in the lobby, if you're lucky. You can only sign up from 7.30 to 7.35".

In the end, we signed up (at the earliest - on May 5, 2 weeks later) from a home computer. At 7.32 in the morning. At this time, the available intervals appeared on the portal.

Into a bright digital future - on horse-drawn traction..."

The topic turned out to be so relevant that readers began to vying with each other to share their experience in this area, simultaneously assuming that in fact this situation was created artificially, so that, with the help of a well-built system of "filters", weed out pensioners from free medical care:

- But like the "stupid". My leg hurt, my son made an appointment with our doctor right away, went, from there - to CT, there they fiddled with my leg for a long time, not only with the heel, but as a whole, then they prescribed a medicine that we received at the pharmacy for free, after three days it passed. You could wait a month for the recording, wait for the blooming of inflammation and then heal for three years. I'm not even talking about the fact that CT and MRI in Russia have never been done for free. We are pensioners, but not citizens!

However, not only pensioners complain, but also those who work:

- Once a district doctor gave me a referral for a study, and, he says, take the number from the head nurse in such and such an office. I went, this nurse made me laugh. You need to come for this number on Monday at 8 am. And the crowd of suffering at dawn at the entrance to the clinic forms a queue.

- There are almost no people left in our clinic. Once in the afternoon I looked in - 5 patients on 3 floors were - no. The workers were forced to pay, all according to coupons. Even fluorography and ECG.

The reformed healthcare system does not spare children:

- Children are also weeded out, with acute pain in the ear, the daughter could not write down - only 10 days later there was an appointment. I had to go to pay!

Along the way, readers also spoke about the qualifications of doctors in state polyclinics:

- I brought my wife's sister by car to the doctor for an appointment. Sudden pressure surges. A woman doctor took out a smartphone from the table: "Okay Google, what medications should I prescribe to a patient with sudden surges in pressure ?!". I'm sitting in the hallway, sorry for my French, a lot of fucking!

- In Moscow polyclinics from services, with grief in half, but you can get an X-ray, sign up for a CT scan (if you're lucky). Perhaps that's all. There are no analyzes (they lose them, confuse them. And their reliability is a big question...). The qualifications of "specialists" are close to zero. In our 209th on Michurinsky, although the interior is beautiful and the floor is in marble. Now imagine what is happening in the regions. There is endless horror. I remember 3 years ago after the accident, we were in the hospital in Vyshny Volochyok, they couldn't even take an X-ray. And the tomograph was broken.

However, one of the readers also found an explanation for this state of affairs.

- Well, that you are not given the date and time right away - this is logical and correct. Most work and cannot arrive at the enforced time. Well, that it is impossible to sign up - this has nothing to do with digitalization. This has to do with a lack of doctors, equipment and space. Before Covid it was easier, it was not usually such that there was no time for recording at all. Well, now I have one out of two outpatient clinics in the area that is generally closed for the reception of only covid ones - and there was an X-ray for half of the area. Now for no one there is no record, fuck you will make an appointment - really only at 7.30 in the morning. And the district police officers are busy with endless extracts after kovid - everyone is endlessly on duty and an endless crowd of doctors on duty.