More opportunities for young doctors / Day

Family medicine is a beautiful branch of health care with great diversity – a family doctor cares for both large and small, wealthy and the least protected population. “The work is interesting, responsible and, admittedly, sometimes also difficult. Therefore, it is very important to feel that you are valued, it encourages and inspires you to continue working, to develop,” says Ainis Dzalbs, a family doctor and vice president of the Association of Rural Family Physicians of Latvia (LLĢĀA). Also this year in the hearty promotion We are looking for a good family doctor the best family doctors and nurses in Latvia will be honored.

It is important to feel appreciated

Ainis Dzalbs was one of those young family doctors who received the recognition of patients as well as the evaluation of his colleagues – Health center 4 the awarded Rudolph Skaidrās award – in 2013.

“Younger colleagues, starting work as a family doctor, especially in the regions of Latvia, and facing administrative burdens, successes and failures, need both practical support and should also hear words that encourage and give inspiration. At that time, when I received Rūdolfas Skaidrās award, I was still a young doctor and I felt honored and pleased when the chairman of the board of VC4, Māris Rēvalds, visited my practice in Staļžene, Jelgava region: a leading industry professional devoted his valuable time to listen to me, I was able to tell not only successes, but also what worries me , to ask questions. I was lucky to be the recipient of the award, the attention and words of thanks were a great inspiration and satisfaction. I started to get more actively involved in the LLĀAA, with the intention of motivating, addressing, to explain, to encourage young industry aspirants in the regions,” recalls Ainis Dzalbs. Over the years, his career has grown to the position of vice president of LLĀAA, Dzalbs also works in the State Immunization Council under the auspices of the Ministry of Health, and also teaches future doctors at Riga Stradiņš University.

Diversity is an incomparable experience

Before realizing that the right professional path for him is family medicine, Ainis Dzalbs worked in a hospital for 10 years, and the experience he gained made him understand how important prevention and early diagnosis are. “When the patient arrives at the hospital, it is already a moment too late. Maybe something could have been done earlier and prevented hospitalization. This trend is also relevant in other parts of the world – the number of hospital beds is decreasing, while the range of services in the outpatient sector is increasing. I really like diversity. It is not for nothing that there is a saying that in a certain department the diagnoses are the same, only the bodies change, while in outpatient practice the person remains the same, but the problems to be solved change,” says Dzalbs.

In 2009, Ainis Dzalbs decided to exchange hospital work for experience in the outpatient sector. Moreover, he accepted a job offer in Malta, later in Libya: “Malta has two national languages ​​- Maltese and English – so I had no problems communicating. When the health center where I worked opened a branch in Libya, I agreed to go there. I had an invaluable experience! However, when the contract ended, I decided that I wanted to continue working in Latvia.”

The best guidelines should be considered

Ainis Dzalbs believes that if you are creating your own medical practice, of course, only knowledge in medicine is not enough, you also need to understand legal and accounting nuances, but your own practice is an opportunity to realize the kind of health care you envision. “We are still moving towards better and better solutions, there is still something to develop, improve and supplement, the practice of a family doctor, like Riga, is never ready,” emphasizes Ainis Dzalbs and wants to encourage young doctors to work in the regions of Latvia. According to him, when creating your own medical practice, it is possible to work much more dynamically and the opportunities for professional development are wider. Dzalbs is an optimist, also evaluating the processes in the country: “Representing the LLĀAA government, I feel that we are listened to, our recommendations are taken into account. Unfortunately, there are many needs in the country, but the budget is as it is. I believe that there are improvements, but they are slower, than we would like, however, we must continue to work and stand up for the interests of our patients.”

Each country has its own specific nuances, but we don’t have to reinvent the wheel – there are World Health Organization guidelines and recommendations to take into account.

There is no shortage of ideas, there are opportunities

Dzalbs emphasizes that the decisions and funding of the Ministry of Health are not the only tools for improving the work of a family doctor’s practice. Cooperation with the local government and attracting funding from European Union funds are important resources. What are the family doctor’s own plans to develop his practice? “I am thinking about new EU projects. Taking into account both the challenges of the pandemic, the geopolitical situation and climate risks, we need to think about the management strategy of various crises. I believe that in my practice we need an electricity generator so that we can feel sure that we will have the continuity of this service. As soon as there is no electricity, there is no internet and much more, so it is important to have such equipment.

Patient rehabilitation and physiotherapy should also be part of family medicine.

Cooperation with nutritionists should be emphasized more, because a healthy diet is a part of the prevention of both cardiovascular and oncological diseases,” says Ainis Dzalbs.

Of course, one family doctor cannot replace all other specialists and hospital professionals, but he is able to assess the situation – when it is possible to cope on his own, but when it is necessary to consult another specialist or send the patient to a hospital.

“According to the WHO, the family doctor must provide an important minimum of prevention: screenings, care of infants and pregnant women, vaccination, early diagnosis programs for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. The next priority is acute care, and these are not only consultations for colds and coughs, but also care of minor domestic injuries, for example, we can apply a simple plaster, suture a wound – all types of minor surgery are possible.Cardiograms, lung function tests, etc

I intend to introduce ultrasonography examinations in practice in the near future. Of course, not the detailed and delicate examination that radiologists do, but, for example, if a patient comes with pain in the right side, we apply a sonograph and we can see if it is a gallstone attack or something else. I would also like to offer dermatoscopy to my patients,” the family doctor reveals the planned projects, confirming that the more active and willing you are to develop, the more successful you will be.