Thousands of patients queue – some will wait until fall, others don’t know how long

We have to wait and fall

According to Š. Narbutas, some patients with cancer diseases will have to wait for the scheduled services even until the fall.

“We are already seeing cancer patient queues that will register in the fall. And if the situation does not change, there will be no more patients seen, but only about 50 percent, which means that in the fall the queue will have to wait half a year or more. However, this is not a problem in one area. In oncology, we had a slightly better situation because those services were described as urgent during quarantine and therefore continued to be provided. However, it is clear that some oncology patients have not received the necessary services, said the president of POLA.

– The biggest problem is that the service updates are not centralized. Just as the institution itself can handle it, it also does. The problem, I would say, is latent, because if the institution now only serves 50 percent. patients treated before COVID-19, this is already a one-month queue. “

When will you get the procedures: I don’t know

According to the interlocutor, in some cases these services can be expected. Additionally, cancer patients are at an even higher risk of immunodeficiency in treatment facilities. However, this situation cannot continue any longer.

“It is possible to skip a consultation or treatment cycle, but when the procedure is delayed 4-5 times or patients do not know at all when they will receive that service, it is difficult. And that’s just an illustration, because other patients with heart disease, diabetes, etc. we face the same problems, ”Š said. Narbutas

As the president of POLA said, it is more difficult for patients to live in ignorance and not know when the required procedure will be performed. In Lithuania, chemotherapy or radiotherapy are performed only in 6 medical institutions.

“These are the National Cancer Institute, the Kaunas Clinics, the Santara Clinic, the Klaipėda University Hospital, the Panevėžys and Šiauliai Republican Hospitals. And there are no private institutions that provide such services, so oncology patients cannot go anywhere, “said the interlocutor.

In addition, in most cases, the patient will need to undergo blood or radiological tests during treatment. However, according to Š. The lines for the radiological exams waiting for Narbut are even longer than before.

“If the test is not done, you should not prescribe chemotherapy or radiation therapy or other treatment, because the doctor does not know what the patient’s condition is.” The doctor could accept, but without the results of the examination, it cannot be done, – said Š. Narbutas

– Queues are the biggest challenge. Even after renewing the services, they are not provided as much as before, this still does not guarantee accessibility. “

Therefore, according to the interlocutor, the solutions to this problem should be found as soon as possible.

“There was a kind of commotion in March, when everything had to shut down and wait. We were still waiting in April, and in May it was announced that treatment services could be resumed. So I think solutions should be found during June on how institutions will reach the level they were before quarantine, because if not, the waiting lists will be much higher and it will be impossible for patients to access them. Stopping the health system can happen very quickly, but restoring it is a real challenge Such a system, where institutions can choose for themselves how much and when to update their services, is not good. Patients pay taxes, but they cannot recover it, or the availability of the service, or go to the private sector somewhere with that money. ” , Š says. Narbutas

Half of the services in the consulting polyclinic due to quarantine

In its response, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) wrote that it served patients with cancer diseases throughout the quarantine period. Cancer, surgical, chemotherapeutic, or radiological treatment continued throughout the quarantine period. The examination and treatment of new patients with suspected oncological disease was also guaranteed. As written in the response, patients were consulted remotely whenever possible, such as scheduled prescription, long-term monitoring of patients at low risk of disease progression who have no new complaints.

At that time, as the head of the polyclinic department IMI Consulting dr. After suspending the provision of primary and secondary care services in other medical institutions, Rasa Vansevičiūtė – Petkevičienė was unable to undergo many examinations and consultations, some patients were unable to see a family doctor or specialist physician and receive a referral to IMI due to your complaints.

“Understandably, like all institutions, most of which were almost 100 percent. By suspending direct counseling services (with the arrival of the patient), IMI was forced and continues to adhere to strict quarantine standards to protect IMI patients who are particularly susceptible to infection. Due to this procedure, of course, the consulting polyclinic provides half of the services that we could before, “said the doctor.

We constantly ask for understanding and patience: for patients who do not urgently need a consultation with an oncologist, some tests can be performed in a place of residence and IMI can only be contacted for new changes. In addition, due to strict quarantine restrictions, IMI has temporarily suspended consultations for patients on non-cancer diseases, prevention programs; IMI’s priority is to provide services to patients with cancer diseases, and at this critical moment we give priority to this group of patients.

Some patients don’t come anyway

Since March 16. part of the consultations had to be postponed at the Consulting Polyclinic and, according to IMI, efforts are currently being made to call patients with oncological diseases for whom consultations have been postponed.

“Obviously, we can’t re-register patients as much as, for example, we registered a year ago, and we also need to be prepared for the second wave of COVID-19 in the fall, so patients register with longer breaks. between visits in the fall. “

It is important to mention that part of the patients who have been called or registered again, do not arrive at the appointed time, as a result, part of the consultation time is lost. This can happen for a variety of reasons, most often today due to fear of visiting a hospital, the risk of COVID-19 infection, and other reasons: Patients are strongly encouraged to inform their treating physician if they plan not to attend. to a prescribed consultation or study. in advance, then you can invite another patient, who really has a long wait, “summarized the head of the department.

In other departments, quarantine did not adjust the workflow as strongly. As reported by the head of the IMI chemotherapy department with the day hospital doctor. chemotherapy oncologist dr. Birutė Brasiūnienė, after the multidisciplinary commission, primary patients can see an oncologist-chemotherapist, even in the same week or the same day, for those who continue treatment for 1-2 weeks.

Head of the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Dr. radiologist dr. Jurgita Ušinskienė reported that there are currently no IMI queues for mammography and X-ray examinations; can be done the same day. For other exams due to lack of equipment, as before, there are waiting lines: 21 calendar days for computed tomography, 14 days for MRI and 5 days for ultrasound of the breasts.

During the two months of quarantine, 500 oncological pathology operations were performed at the National Cancer Institute, and almost 6,000 people visited the polyclinic office. patients, many consultations were by phone. Made more than 3 thousand. outpatient chemotherapy procedures and more than 4 thousand. outpatient radiotherapy procedures. The volume of services in some departments corresponded to the period prior to quarantine, while in other departments, such as Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, it stopped entirely. However, the total volume of services remained around 60-70%. from the previous service level.

Santara Clinics also reported that scheduled services were provided at all times, but only to those patients who would have been at risk of significant deterioration in health without such services. For other patients, they were delayed until the end of quarantine.

According to Gitana Letukienė, spokesperson for the Santarai Clinics, this hospital currently gives priority to those patients whose scheduled services were canceled during quarantine. Therefore, others have to wait to receive other treatments.

The Ministry is aware of the situation.

When asked by Health Minister Aurelius Veryga at a press conference on Monday if the ministry is aware of the situation regarding oncology patients who are currently unable to receive the services they need, A. Veryga replied that the situation is really known.

“It just came to our attention then. Some of the hard-to-reach services are related to the spread or management of infection, quarantine conditions, the requirement that hospitals implement additional infection control measures, manage flows of take breaks between patients and the like. We need to understand that some circumstances are really objective, which can lead to a slight increase in that waiting period for those who need scheduled services, especially for preventive services, said the head of the Ministry of Health (SAM).

– Who needs treatment: these services were not stopped during the quarantine. And anyway, I have mentioned it before and I can repeat once again that we are now monitoring the establishments very closely and how they are updating the scheduled services that were suspended during the quarantine. For those institutions that do not renew their services within the specified period, which is probably June 8, a payment of 1/12 will be reviewed. In that case, payment is likely to be made because the services have been provided. “

If there are long lines at a medical institution, you can try applying to another that has a contract with the State Health Insurance Funds, in which case the services will be paid from the Mandatory Health Insurance Fund (PSDF).

You can check the patient line at the treatment center here.