According to Agnė Sakalinskienė, the advisor of the Investment Implementation Department of the Investment Department of the Ministry of Health, this service will eventually be available free of charge throughout Lithuania for patients who cannot use private or public transport due to their health or social and economic reasons.
“The implementation of patient transportation services together with the reform of the development of the personal health care network, by establishing health centers in municipalities, will improve the availability of health care services for the most vulnerable groups of society, and help doctors ensure a smooth path to patient diagnosis and treatment.” – says A. Sakalinskienė.
Who can get a ride service?
Transportation services can already be obtained in 20 municipalities by persons belonging to the following groups:
- who have a 55 percent or less work capacity level, disability or special needs level, and who are eligible for reimbursement drug premiums due to insufficient income;
- who need a ride service for medical reasons, for example, have mobility impairments, cannot walk independently, need a stretcher, oxygen or other special equipment for their transportation, etc.;
- People aged 75 and over who are entitled to a low-income reimbursement drug premium.
The ride is divided into two types: non-specialized and specialized.
A person with a medical education participates during the specialized ride. This means that the transport service is provided by an ambulance, during which the patient’s condition is monitored. During a non-specialized ride, the doctor does not accompany the patients.
How to book a ride?
In order to order a ride service, a resident must obtain an electronic referral from a physician for specialized personal health care services. The shipment must state that the patient will need assistance to reach the treatment facility.
With a referral, a person can register for a doctor’s appointment and then order a ride. This can be done by calling the Hotline with the short phone number 1808 or contacting directly the contacts of each municipality participating in the project, published on the website www.1808.lt.
After checking whether the patient has the right to receive the service, the operator of the shuttle service assigns a vehicle that meets his needs and coordinates the time of the shuttle. The shuttle service is scheduled, it is recommended to book it no later than two working days before the visit.
Not only the patient himself, but also a person accompanying him, a social worker, a family member or another person can order a ride service. A person accompanying the patient or even a guide dog can go along with the ordered transport.
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2024-07-12 01:28:47