Policlinic

A policlinic (erroneously polyclinic), is a place where a wide range of health care services (including diagnostics) can be obtained without the need for an overnight stay. Policlinics are sometimes co-located with a hospital.

Etymology

Greek polis city, klinike (techne) "(practice) at the sickbed," from klinikos "of the bed," kline "bed, couch, that on which one lies". Literally city-clinic, in fact "a clinic held in a private house".

Function

A typical policlinic is an outpatient facility that houses general medical practitioners (GPs) such as doctors and nurses to provide ambulatory care and some acute care services but lacks the major surgical and pre- and post-operative care facilities commonly associated with hospitals. Besides GPs a policlinic can house outpatient departments of some medical specialties i.e. gynecology, dermatology, ophthalmology, ENT, neurology, pulmonology, cardiology, endocrinology etc. In some university cities policlinics house outpatient departments of all the teaching hospital in one building.

Internationally

Policlinics are common type of healthcare facility in many countries incl. France, Germany (long tradition), Switzerland and most of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (mixed Soviet-German model), as well as in former Soviet republics such as Russia and Ukraine; and in many countries across Asia and Africa. Recent Russian governments have attempted to replace the policlinic model introduced during Soviet times with a more western model. However, this has failed. India has also set up huge numbers of policlinics for former defence personnel. The network envisages 426 policlinics in 343 districts of the country which will benefit about 33 lakh (3.3 million) ex-servicemen residing in remote and far-flung areas.

See also

• Polyclinics in England

External links

• Polyclinic in Seattle
• Ideas from Darzi: Polyclinics