Vilnius resident faces long wait for urgent test, highlighting system flaws

A Vilnius resident experienced a significant delay in receiving a crucial medical test, highlighting systemic issues within Lithuania's healthcare system. Despite being issued an urgent referral for a pH measurement test, the patient was informed of a four-month waiting period at Santaras Clinics.

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My friend got an urgent referral to do a pH measurement test. At least, he was told that with such a referral, the service should be provided within 14 days. But the reality turned out to be different.

According to the reader who shared the story, the patient was initially told that an urgent referral should result in the service being provided within 14 days. However, Santaras Clinics stated that the earliest available appointment was in late September. Attempts to find alternative appointments at other private institutions also revealed similar long waits, with some facilities not offering appointments until the end of September. Even seeking the test in Kaunas resulted in a wait until October.

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The waiting time for this test is four months. Later, they only offered a place at the end of September.

The National Health Insurance Fund (VLK) clarified that the 14-day timeframe for urgent referrals is not universally applicable to all diagnostic procedures. While urgency indicates a higher priority, legal acts do not mandate a 14-day limit for all diagnostic services, including pH measurements. The VLK stated that service provision timelines depend on the capacity of the healthcare provider and the existing patient queue.

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Urgent referrals are issued when provided for in the relevant disease diagnosis and treatment descriptions and/or service provision requirements. The urgency marked in the referral means that the patient is given higher priority, but the legal acts do not establish that a mandatory 14-day period applies to all diagnostic services, including pH measurement.

Furthermore, the VLK emphasized that pH measurement is considered a planned functional diagnostic test, not an urgent one, unless accompanied by severe symptoms like swallowing difficulties, bleeding, unexplained weight loss, or suspected tumors, in which case other tests might be prioritized. Patients are not bound to a single clinic and can seek services at other institutions that have contracts with the health insurance fund. However, even with a change of clinic, the wait time will still be determined by the local patient queue.

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The service provision timelines depend on the capacity of the service provider and the patient queue.