The Vitebsk Regional Children's Clinical Centre, formed by the merger of the Vitebsk City Central Children's Polyclinic and the Regional Children's Clinical Hospital, will commence operations on January 1, 2015, as reported to a BELTA correspondent by the Chief Physician of the Polyclinic, Galina Puzanova.
The Vitebsk Regional Children's Clinical Centre, formed by the merger of the Vitebsk City Central Children's Polyclinic and the Regional Children's Clinical Hospital, will commence operations on January 1, 2015, as reported to a BELTA correspondent by the Chief Physician of the Polyclinic, Galina Puzanova.
"The decision on reorganization is linked to the implementation of a course towards developing outpatient polyclinic care and orienting hospitals towards highly specialised assistance. Already last year, almost 85% of all medical care for children in Vitebsk and the Vitebsk region was provided on an outpatient basis. The merger will further balance the volumes of medical services provided, avoiding duplication of certain procedures in medical institutions. Furthermore, the operating principle of clinical centres will make highly specialised medical care more accessible. It will no longer be necessary to seek it at republican research and practical centres in Minsk," explained Galina Puzanova.
The scope and catchment area of the City Central Children's Polyclinic and its branches are currently quite extensive, with over 75,000 children from the regional centre and the Vitebsk region under their care. Even highly specialised services, which are primarily the focus of clinics, are provided on an outpatient basis. At the same time, the regional hospital has a significant number of patients from Vitebsk who could receive care at the polyclinic level, thereby reducing the overall hospitalisation rate.
Additionally, the resources of the integrated structure, including all modern high-tech medical equipment, both existing and being procured for the reconstructed wing of the regional hospital, will now be used more effectively and will improve the quality of medical and diagnostic care. Moreover, the merger implies the reduction of certain administrative positions, which will serve the purpose of saving budgetary funds.
Galina Puzanova expects that the status of a clinical center will open up new opportunities for the implementation of various treatment and rehabilitation programs, as well as further modernization. Meanwhile, the three-story building of the regional children's clinical hospital is nearing completion after reconstruction. It will house 4 treatment departments (allergology, neurology, nephrology, and gastroenterology) with 155 beds, physiotherapy rooms, and a department of the medical university. Currently, it remains to complete the interior work, install plumbing, purchase medical furniture, and a number of other minor tasks. The healthcare department of the regional executive committee expects the building to be commissioned in the summer of 2015.