HEALTH CARE

First of all Id like to describe the human body. The head is the upper part of our body containing the skull, brain, hair, eyes, ears, cheeks, mouth, lips, teeth, tongue and chin. The trunk connects our head with the neck. The arm consists of shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand. Each hand has a palm and 5 fingers. The leg consists of the thigh, knee, calf and foot with its heel. All the body is covered by skin and there are lots of bones. Inside the body there are many organs. Probably the most important organs are the heart, brain, kidneys, livers and lungs. At the doctor We visit doctors when we feel ill or when we have a health problem. Medical care of any type in our country is free of charge, although there are now many private doctors. Everybody has a right to choose a doctor. We can go to the health centre, policlinic, hospital or to a private doctor, many factories and offices have their own doctors. First of all we enter the waiting room. Then the nurse says next please and invites us into the consulting room. First she needs to see our insurance card. Doctors may ask you to strip to the waist before they examine your chest and throat. They can also check our blood pressure, feel the pulse or put our blood or urine through lab-tests. Doctors usually prescribe us some medicine like pills, antibiotics, eye drops, sleeping pills, ointments or they tell us to go on diet. Sometimes they may X-ray our lungs or bones. We must go through many types of vaccination during our lives. Dentists check our teeth and sometimes they need to pull some out or drill and fill them. There are various types of physicians: GP (general practitioners). Each person should undergo a regular check-up at least once a year. Dentists, surgeons, internist, oculists, paediatricians, gynaecologists, psychiatrists, dermatologists, ear and throat specialists. In more serious cases - at injuries, casualties or in cases of unconsciousness - an ambulance car comes and takes us to the hospital. In cases of very serious injuries the helicopter is called up. Sometimes it is necessary to render first aid, e.g. mouth-to-mouth respiration, fixing a fractured extremity etc. Bigger ambulance cars have also got apparatus for oxygen, a reserve of infusions etc. More serious causes - such as the heart attack, appendices, broken bones, animal or snake bites, severe bleeding, poisoning, tuberculosis, pneumonia etc. need special treatment at hospital. The doctors care must be very attentive because human life is in danger. It is the same situation with all possible operations and surgeon interference. Patients with heavy bleeding are at once anaesthetised by an injection or an inhalation of a narcotic and operated at the theatre. However, there are still diseases which cannot be cured such as a cancer or encephalitis and another world threat is AIDS. We must go through many types of vaccination during our lives. Illnesses like scarlet fever, bronchitis, chicken-pox, mumps etc. are dangerous for children but thanks to vaccinations and hygiene, such diseases or diphtheria, hepatitis, measles etc. can be fought. Now Id like to talk about first aid. When you see an accident you may phone the ambulance (in our country it is 155) or you may attempt to give the first aid. If somebody is bleeding you must try to stop the bleeding. If you see a car accident, check if they are breathing first and the stop the bleeding, however, we must not move with the body unless its absolutely necessary and we also have

to keep them warm, loosen any tight clothes and of course call the doctor. First aid try the pulse, try the breathing, put the head up, make sure the tongue is as it should be as the injured could get suffocated, stop bleeding by pressing special points, if needed, give artificial respiration.