Some time ago I had a scuffle with Ukrainian healthcare system. It's very illustrative, if anything.
It was Friday, I remember it well, and it was after noon when I felt stinging in one of my eyes, followed by redness and general discomfort, plus photophobia. Since before that I had mild inflammation of both eyes, I thought it'd pass after I cleaned my eyes. But several hours later (about 4pm) I thought I'd better have professional opinion about it, week-end approaching and all.
I tried getting an appointment with a specialist I usually visited, only to find out he's moved out of Ukraine recently. I tried getting an appointment with another specialist of the same clinic, only to be told "oh well, it's Friday afternoon, we're booked and have no space for new appointments, maybe you'd like to come tomorrow or Monday morning?".
I tried several another private clinics (that I had at least some faith in via word of mouth), though got the same answer. It's Friday, you know, and we're so busy we can't see you. Even if it's an emergency. And if it's an emergency, go to the ER.
After 5th phone call I gave up on private clinics.
Ukraine proclaims it has 'free' healthcare. Ok, we know it's not 'actually 'free', you have to pay for stuff. But usually you can visit your regional doctor for free, if you get through the queues. I knew where my 'assigned' regional healthcare unit was, I knew our 'family doctor' by sight, even though I never visited an ophthalmologist there.
On Friday afternoon, though, I thought I'd have trouble getting 'free' visit without hurry.
So I hurried, and was in the queue at 16:45. The doctor was out (as customary here) and at least 5 other people were in front of me in the queue.
A plate on ophthalmologist's door notified me she's working till 18:00 on Friday.
As we waited for her to return and continue seeing patients (about 35 minutes), more people showed up, including a very old woman. When the 'doctor' appeared (40-something woman), instead of going into her office, she looked at the queue and started asking what each of us wanted. Her tone wasn't what you'd call 'polite'.
When the 'doctor' saw the old woman, she told her: 'I'm not going to see you today, it will take too much time. Go home".
The woman answered: "But you told me to come at 5pm today".
"Oh I don't have time for you," was the answer.
The old lady went away obediently.
Another person was told 'to wait and see if he makes it in time to be examined".
Then the good doctor turned her eye on me, asking me who I was and why am I here.
I told her there's something wrong with one of my eyes, including reasons why I think it's important to get medical attention. She looked at me and said: "I don't know you, have you been here before?".
I said no, I haven't been to her office before (at least not in last 5-7 years), but I have the right because it's my assigned healthcare office.
She said it might be my assigned office, but she's not going to see me unless I bring her a paper that my family doctor thinks I should see an ophthalmologist. Just so you'd know, family doctor's office is situated 10 minutes' walk away from ophthalmologist's office. Meaning just to get there and back would mean spending 20 minutes. And heavy redness of my eye is a proof enough that there's something wrong with it.
I understood her intention from the start, still had to ask: "If I go to get that paper, even in the best circumstances, there being no queue and such, it'll be around 6pm when I return".
She laughed and said: "Even better, you won't be here in time for my shift".
People in queue turned away, silent.
"Can I take it that you're unwilling to help me?" I asked.
She said: "I don't care about helping you, if you have not the paper from your family doctor, I don't owe you anything," and then she disappeared in her office.
People in the queue said not a word, keen on keeping eyes off me. I looked at them, pitied them, and said I won't need any help from a person like that. I left.
It was around 17:30.
In the end I asked around and went to the ER that had an ophthalmologist, it took me around 20 minutes to get there by car.
Ophthalmology ER staff was very bored. They were very nice to me, listened to my story, why I thought it might be urgent, told me I was right to come because it could have been urgent; then they called two doctors from the Hospital where ER was situated to examine me... everything was quiet and civil.
It turned out to be a bad case of bacterial inflammation, I had multiple eye drops prescribed and scolded for not taking care of it earlier, before it's gotten so bad.
One of the doctors asked me why I didn't go to my regional office (they knew which one it was, because I had to give them my home address), because the ophthalmologist there is said to be 'not bad'.
I told them I was turned away just now by that ophthalmologist, and they told me "she has a temper, but she's not that bad when she's in the good mood".
Apparently, her 'temper' is quite well-known in medical circles, but such behavior is tolerated.
I decided not to get involved with such 'professional', if I have a choice.
