Saturday, October 23, 2004
Hospitals
A few of the documents you need in order to get a residence permit are 4 medical certificates:
- one stating that you don't have HIV or AIDS,
- one stating that you don't suffer from tuberculosis
- one stating that you're not a drug addict or mental case
- one stating that you don't suffer from syphilis and something else.
The lady at the office of Home Affairs who told us which documents we need - I'll post a complete list soon - had also given us a list of all the hospitals where you can get these 4 certificates.
So, on Monday we headed for the first one on the list in order to have an HIV test taken. Once we had found the room we were looking for (which wasn't an easy task with all those subterranean corridors that had a slight prison look to them and different people giving different directions), it turned out that they don't give out certificates and that all they do is take blood. So, I had my blood taken and paid 60 RUB for the blood test.
On Thursday, we picked up the test results - HIV negative, thank God - and drove to another place in order to receive the necessary certificate. After about half an hour and another 110 RUB I was the lucky owner of the coveted HIV certificate.
With this certificate, we drove to the psychiatric hospital - which is next to the first hospital, by the way - where they put a stamp on it, declaring that I am not a nut case. They must have known by the look in my eyes, because they didn't take any tests. For this stamp we paid 20 RUB.
After that, they sent us to another building of the same hospital, where they put another stamp on my certificate, certifying that I am not a drug addict (no test and completely free).
So, now we already had two certificates and two more to go.
On Friday we decided to start with the tuberculosis thing. We picked one of the available hospitals, but there they told us that they don't give out certificates. OK, off to the next one on the list. At this hospital, they did give out certificates, but we would have to go to the student hospital first to take the test.
On the way to this student hospital, we decided to get the fourth certificate on the list: syphilis and the other thing. I paid 180 RUB, had my blood taken (after buying a syringe for 3 RUB) and they told us we could pick up the results in a week (next Friday).
So, off to the student hospital for the tuberculosis test or fluorography. Having stood in line for more than half an hour, we finally noticed some movement. Apparently, they had been on their noon break. By now, the room was filled with noisy students and nobody knew whose turn it was. I didn't feel like spending all day in this place, so I went up to the lady and told her I was a foreigner and really needed this certificate (and that I had paid for the test - 20 RUB). Apparently, paying patients don't have to stand in line, but noone had bothered to tell us this. When I got the results a few minutes later, it turned out they had misspelled my last name (by the way, they needed my father's name 'Franswazovich' for their computers). Having had this corrected, we headed back to the place where they give out the certificates. A few minutes and 47 RUB later I had my third certificate.
Don't worry if you're confused after reading all of this. I am too.
But the thing is that now I only need one more certificate and they have already taken my blood for that, so it should be a cinch.
Once I have all 4 certificates, I need to get a 'common medical certificate' at a fifth hospital. Hope that doesn't pose too much of a problem.
I would like to conclude by saying that I am incredibly grateful for the fact that we have a car!!! Imagine having to do all of this by bus or on foot!? I'm really sorry for the people who have to do so.
Also, I would like to point out that if you ever need anything done in Russia, say the magic word: 'foreigner'. Believe me, it really helps. People become a lot more helpful after that.
- one stating that you don't have HIV or AIDS,
- one stating that you don't suffer from tuberculosis
- one stating that you're not a drug addict or mental case
- one stating that you don't suffer from syphilis and something else.
The lady at the office of Home Affairs who told us which documents we need - I'll post a complete list soon - had also given us a list of all the hospitals where you can get these 4 certificates.
So, on Monday we headed for the first one on the list in order to have an HIV test taken. Once we had found the room we were looking for (which wasn't an easy task with all those subterranean corridors that had a slight prison look to them and different people giving different directions), it turned out that they don't give out certificates and that all they do is take blood. So, I had my blood taken and paid 60 RUB for the blood test.
On Thursday, we picked up the test results - HIV negative, thank God - and drove to another place in order to receive the necessary certificate. After about half an hour and another 110 RUB I was the lucky owner of the coveted HIV certificate.
With this certificate, we drove to the psychiatric hospital - which is next to the first hospital, by the way - where they put a stamp on it, declaring that I am not a nut case. They must have known by the look in my eyes, because they didn't take any tests. For this stamp we paid 20 RUB.
After that, they sent us to another building of the same hospital, where they put another stamp on my certificate, certifying that I am not a drug addict (no test and completely free).
So, now we already had two certificates and two more to go.
On Friday we decided to start with the tuberculosis thing. We picked one of the available hospitals, but there they told us that they don't give out certificates. OK, off to the next one on the list. At this hospital, they did give out certificates, but we would have to go to the student hospital first to take the test.
On the way to this student hospital, we decided to get the fourth certificate on the list: syphilis and the other thing. I paid 180 RUB, had my blood taken (after buying a syringe for 3 RUB) and they told us we could pick up the results in a week (next Friday).
So, off to the student hospital for the tuberculosis test or fluorography. Having stood in line for more than half an hour, we finally noticed some movement. Apparently, they had been on their noon break. By now, the room was filled with noisy students and nobody knew whose turn it was. I didn't feel like spending all day in this place, so I went up to the lady and told her I was a foreigner and really needed this certificate (and that I had paid for the test - 20 RUB). Apparently, paying patients don't have to stand in line, but noone had bothered to tell us this. When I got the results a few minutes later, it turned out they had misspelled my last name (by the way, they needed my father's name 'Franswazovich' for their computers). Having had this corrected, we headed back to the place where they give out the certificates. A few minutes and 47 RUB later I had my third certificate.
Don't worry if you're confused after reading all of this. I am too.
But the thing is that now I only need one more certificate and they have already taken my blood for that, so it should be a cinch.
Once I have all 4 certificates, I need to get a 'common medical certificate' at a fifth hospital. Hope that doesn't pose too much of a problem.
I would like to conclude by saying that I am incredibly grateful for the fact that we have a car!!! Imagine having to do all of this by bus or on foot!? I'm really sorry for the people who have to do so.
Also, I would like to point out that if you ever need anything done in Russia, say the magic word: 'foreigner'. Believe me, it really helps. People become a lot more helpful after that.
Comments:
Post a Comment
