If you have been displaced within Ukraine as a result of Russian aggression and need a consultation with a specialist doctor, you can get it in any city, regardless of where you signed your declaration with a family doctor. To do so, take two simple steps:
1. Get a referral
A referral is issued by your family doctor or by your attending physician if they consider it necessary to involve a specialist in another field. If you physically cannot visit your doctor, ask them for a referral by phone or through a messaging app. A doctor with access to the electronic health care system (eHealth) will issue the referral remotely. You can also get a referral from a family doctor at the nearest primary care facility that has a contract with the National Health Service of Ukraine (NHSU). You do not need to sign a new declaration for this. Make an appointment, provide your details and those of the family doctor you have a declaration with, and tell the new doctor what is bothering you. Remember: under martial law, paper referrals are valid alongside e-referrals. If the hospital temporarily has no access to eHealth, the doctor will issue a paper referral.
2. Find a hospital
With a referral, you can see a doctor in any region and at any healthcare facility that has a contract with the NHSU for the relevant service package. To find the right specialist in your new location, call the NHSU contact center at 16-77. Before your visit, call the hospital you have chosen and make an appointment. You can also book an appointment online through a medical information system, if the hospital offers this option. Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, many doctors have begun offering online consultations. If you cannot get to the specialist you need, try an online consultation. You can find out whether online consultations are available on the hospital's website or by phone. If your condition suddenly gets worse, it is important not to self-medicate and to find a way to see a doctor in person. You can see the following specialists without a referral:
- a gynecologist (including a pediatric gynecologist);
- a psychiatrist;
- an addiction specialist;
- a dentist;
- a tuberculosis specialist;
- the doctor who monitors a patient with a chronic condition.