Many parents, having found signs of some malaise in their child, fall into almost panic. So, ambulance workers get tales about how a young mother calls them in the middle of the night due to a runny nose in a baby and for other minor reasons. It is worthwhile to understand under what conditions and which doctors should be consulted instead of panic in vain.
Outpatient clinic, ambulance - what's the difference?
When children get sick, some parents simply cannot think logically. It would seem that emergency and ambulance are synonyms. It is not possible to bring down the child's temperature of 38 degrees - you need to dial 03! Some do not even know that there is such a service as children's emergency care. Another situation is complicated by the fact that everyone is taught from childhood: if you can’t get to the clinic or call a doctor at home for some reason, you need to call an ambulance, especially if it is a child. In fact, this is not so at all.
The ambulance service (SSMP) and the ambulance service are two different institutions with different goals, they are practically unconnected, except for the fact that there are doctors working there. The biggest difference is in urgency and urgency. If the first service should be called in the presence of an immediate serious threat to life and health, then the second is engaged in almost the same types of conditions as the district pediatrician.
That is, if a child has a protracted cold, conjunctivitis, infection, or any other condition that does not require urgent medical attention, then either a local doctor from the clinic or pediatric emergency care will help. In this case, it matters only on what day and time of day the services of doctors were needed - on weekdays in the morning you should call a pediatrician.
Accordingly, the difference between what children’s emergency care and primary health care does is obvious. In case of serious injuries, respiratory failure or loss of consciousness and other acute conditions, when the count goes for minutes and seconds, of course, you need to dial 03. It is the ambulance that will arrive in a maximum of 20 minutes, but the ambulance doctors will not rush - they will arrive within hours or even later. If necessary, doctors can arrange a sick leave (as opposed to an ambulance, which does not deal with this), as well as write out a referral for hospitalization, but they will only have to get to the hospital on their own.
Where to call?
Children's emergency care in Moscow is closely connected with polyclinics, the same doctors go on calls. The number can always be found in the information clinic at the place of actual residence or, as a last resort
case, have an ambulance dispatcher. There are several such services in each administrative district, but you need to contact the institution that the child is attached to, or simply the nearest one.
By the way, if a doctor’s examination is not required, you can just call and consult. Children's emergency care also works for this.
About private services
In recent years, with the development of the commercial sector of the healthcare industry, large clinics have developed their own emergency and emergency services. For those who prefer to be monitored by paid doctors or regularly purchase voluntary medical insurance that includes such services, this may seem like a more acceptable option. Some simply trust doctors more if they pay them. Someone thinks that commercial services provide better assistance. You can argue about this for a long time, but if you need emergency children’s help, don’t think for a long time - you need to call a doctor.