Health in Lithuania

Health is sveikata in Lithuanian. The health system includes primary care, specialist care, hospitals, emergency services, pharmacies, dentistry, public health, and private services. Compulsory health insurance is called privalomasis sveikatos draudimas. A person's entitlement depends on their residence, work, contributions, or another recognized status, so registration alone should not be treated as proof of full coverage. A family doctor, or šeimos gydytojas, is the usual starting point for non-emergency concerns. Patients commonly register with a primary-care institution, which may be called a poliklinika or clinic. Specialist treatment often begins with an assessment or referral from primary care when publicly covered pathways are used. Private appointments may provide another route, but payment and follow-up arrangements should be clear beforehand. Emergency care is for urgent threats to life or health. Less urgent problems belong with a family doctor, an out-of-hours service where available, or a pharmacist, while the shared European emergency number is 112. A pharmacy is a vaistinė. Pharmacists can explain safe use of common medicines, but prescription medicines require the appropriate prescription and brand names may differ from those used abroad. Dental, rehabilitation, mental-health, vision, and preventive services can have different access and payment arrangements. Confirm coverage before treatment instead of assuming every service follows the same rules. Digital systems may be used for prescriptions, referrals, appointments, and records. Bring identification and keep a personal list of medicines, allergies, diagnoses, and important documents in case systems do not contain your full history.