Some illnesses or injuries require prompt medical attention but are not serious enough to require emergency aid. In such cases, a patient may receive urgent care.
What is urgent care?
Some illnesses or injuries require urgent care. Although they are not life-threatening, care cannot be delayed until the next day.
In Latvia, a person who has the right to receive the State-paid medical assistance minimum is also entitled to urgent care.
Urgent care is provided in cases of:
- injury
- acute disease
- exacerbation of a chronic disease
- other cases when urgent intervention by medical practitioners is needed
example If a person has an earache, such condition does not qualify for emergency aid as there is no threat to life. However, a person may attend the reception ward of a hospital on their own to receive urgent help.
You can receive urgent care in an emergency room or in the reception ward of a hospital. In Latvia, hospital reception wards operate 24/7. Urgent care also includes basic laboratory tests and visual diagnostics (X-ray or ultrasound) to determine the diagnosis.
Priority system in urgent care
Upon entry into a reception ward, each patient is assigned a priority number from 1 to 4. It shows how urgent the condition of the patient is and how long they can wait for help.
example 1st priority: reanimation or artificial ventilation required.