Free-of-charge services
Emergency medical services – in the event of an accident, acute illness and similar cases (see page “Emergency medical services”).
Services
Free-of-charge services
The EMS crew, which arrived under a call and may consist of an EMS doctor or an emergency medical service specialist, or a paramedic, must ask a patient to sign on the second page of the call form No 110/a, which includes the following text:
- “In an understandable form to me, I am familiar with my (person’s represented by me) rights, duties and consequences of refusing the aid offered to me. As regards tests, treatment, procedures and aid offered and provided to me (person represented by me): agree/disagree; I agree to go to hospital: agree/disagree;”
- “Information about my (person’s represented by me) condition of health can be disclosed to other persons: agree/disagree;”
Upon signing the call form, the anamnesis is collected, a patient’s current general condition of health, neurological and heart conditions are assessed, ECG test is performed in case of indications, blood glucose level is checked, required intravenous medicines are given (which are included in the medical bag under the list approved by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania) or other required medical manipulations, which meet the EMS standards, are performed (following the standards approved by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania). If the reason of a call is an injury – the mechanism of injury and its severity are assessed. Once preliminary diagnosis or a predominant syndrome is identified, the required medical aid, which meets the EMS standards, is provided in order to stabilize patient’s condition and, taking into account the severity of condition, the results of aid provided, it is decided whether a patient needs to be examined by a family doctor or be taken to hospital.
By calling 112, you will speak to the dispatcher of the Emergency aid centre, who either will take the call him/herself and transfer to the EMS dispatchers, or will connect to the EMS Dispatch of Vilnius district. By calling 033, the joint telephone number for all Lithuanian networks, as well the former numbers 103 and 03, which may be used, you will speak to our EMS dispatchers (currently, EMS dispatcher services Vilnius district, Utena district, Molėtai region, Panevėžys district, Zarasai and Visaginas districts, see page “Dispatcher’s questions”. The dispatcher will find out the required emergency aid, categorize the call (CAT I, II, or III), and transfer the call to the EMS crew, which is at the closest distance from the venue and will immediately depart to the address identified. If during the call it is find out that the required medical aid is not classified as a case of emergency, the EMS dispatcher will offer to contact an outpatient health care institution. The EMS dispatchers, working in PI Vilnius EMS Station, have higher or high medical education.
Services
About EMS provided services
EMS services, which are financed from the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund (CHIF) budget funds, include:
- Vilnius district EMS Dispatcher services;
- On-duty EMS crew services;
- EMS services at patient’s home or other locations;
- EMS services at Personal Health Care Institutions (hereinafter – PHCI) if a patient needs health care, which exceeds the competence of these institutions;
- Transporting of patients with stable condition from one PHCI hospital to another PHCI hospital if at the reception-first aid division of PHCI the EMS service provider finds out that the institution cannot provide the required health care services taking into account its competence.
- Transporting of patients, who can be transported by EMS vehicle only, home from the reception-first aid division of PHCI hospital once the patient, taken by EMS service provider, is provided with the necessary health care services;
- Transporting of patients from one nursing and palliative treatment PHCI hospital to another PHCI for further examination and/or treatment;
- Transporting of permanent residents of the Republic of Lithuania seriously diseased or injured in foreign country from the border of the Republic of Lithuania to PHCI for further examination and/or treatment;
- Transporting of persons seriously diseased or injured in the Republic of Lithuania, having Compulsory Health Insurance in other EU countries and presenting the documents confirming their insurance, from PHCI to the border of the Republic of Lithuania;
- Transporting of female patients from home to PHCI and from one PHCI to another PHCI due to normal or impending preterm delivery or postnatal pathology.
In addition to services, which are financed from CHIF budget funds, EMS service providers also provide the following services
- Transporting patients from one PHCI hospital to another PHCI hospital for further treatment.
- Transporting patients from one PHCI to another PHCI for diagnostic, therapeutic procedures or tests if transporting is required due to a patient’s health condition (indications to be coordinated by the sending and hosting institution);
- Transporting patients home from PHCI after hospitalization if it is necessary due to a patient’s health condition (indications to be coordinated by the sending PHCI);
- Upon request of a patient or his/her relatives, transporting patients if it is not necessary due to a patient’s health condition.
In the cases, defined in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3, the costs for transporting a patient are covered by the sending PHCI under the contract with EMS service provider; in the case, defined in paragraph 4, the costs are covered by a patient.
