Public Health System in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan Public Health Care System is based on the principles of humanity and its availability to those who need medical assistance. There are different kinds of medical institutions in Kazakhstan, such as polyclinics, dispensaries, hospitals, emergency ambulance service, sanitary-epidemiological centers, etc. The main unit in Kazakhstan Public Health Service is a polyclinic. Every polyclinic is in charge of a definite district and provides the inhabitants of this district with different kinds of medical aid.

Different specialists work at the polyclinic such as therapeutists, surgeons, ophthalmologists, otorhinolaryngologists, cardiologists, neurologists and others.

Each doctor has his consulting hours. If а person is unwell he goes to his district therapeutist, calls a doctor in or may get medical aid at the place of his work. When a patient comes to a doctor the doctor asks him about his complaints, feels his pulse, listens to his heart and lungs, examines his throat, palpates his abdomen. The nurse takes the patient's temperature, measures his blood pressure. All the data of physical examination are written down in the patient's card. If the diagnosis is not clear the doctor asks the patient to undergo some analyses. If the symptoms are outside the therapeutist's competence he refers a patient to a certain specialist. When the diagnosis is made the doctor administers a proper treatment. Every day before or after his consulting hours a district doctor makes calls and visits those patients who cannot come to the polyclinic themselves.

If a person falls ill late at night or the disease breaks up acutely and suddenly or there is a risk to patient's life there are special facilities for such cases: emergency ambulance service which operates day and night. Those patients who need in-patient assistance are hospitalized. There are different kinds of hospitals in Russia: general hospitals, infectious disease hospitals, mental disease hospitals, oncologic clinics, maternity homes and others. Each hospital has wards for patients, procedure rooms, dressing rooms, physiotherapy rooms, X-ray rooms, operating theatres and others.

Everything concerning patients' health and doctor's prescriptions are written down in the patient's case history. All doctor's prescriptions are carried out by nurses. They take the patients' temperature and blood pressure, give injections, infusions. apply mustard plasters. When a patient is discharged from the hospital he is given а medical certificate. According to this document he receives his sick leave pay.

One of the main principles of Kazakhstan Public Health System is disease prevention. It is always more easy to prevent a disease than to treat it. That's why regular medical checkups are carried out once a year at schools, universities, institutes and at places of work. They include X-ray check, blood analysis and physical examination. Children undergo an obligatory vaccination.

3. Post-reading activities

Give the Kazakh/Russian equivalents of the following words and phrases:

#	Useful expressions	Kazakh/Russian equivalents
	General hospital
	infectious disease hospital
	mental disease hospital
	oncologic clinic
	maternity home
	call a doctor in
	listen to the heart
	medical assistance
	feel a pulse
	palpate abdomen
	physical examination
	certain symptoms
	proper treatment
	district doctor
	consulting hours
	case history
	sick leave

 

1. As you read the text look for the answers to the questions and discuss:

1. What kind of medical institutions are there in Kazakhstan?

2. What types of hospitals are there in Kazakhstan?

3. What is a person given when he is discharged from the hospital?

4. What is a medical certificate necessary for?

5. Why is disease prevention one of the main principles in Kazakhstan Public Health System?

ARE YOU A HEALTH NUT?

2. Discuss or debate the questions below. Remember to support your answers!

1. Do you regularly think about your health? Why/not?

2. Do you think that glamour magazines and supermodels portray an unrealistic image of the human body? Should these sort of magazines be banned and/or regulated?

3. How healthy do you consider yourself to be? Please explain.

4. Do you agree or disagree? You are what you eat. Why/not?

5. Do you agree or disagree? The happiest people are healthy people.

6. Which ends up as more important to our physical health, the food that we eat or our genes? Why?

7. Do you think that genetically modified foods are unhealthy? How about dangerous? Should these be banned? Why/not?

8. Do you think the food we eat affects our physical and mental health? Why/not?

9. Who is primarily responsible for our health, the government or ourselves? Why?

10. What do you think about diets that promise dynamic results in but a short amount of time? Have you ever tried such a diet? If yes, what were the results?

11. How often do you go on a diet?

12. What are your opinions about vegetarians and vegans? Are they healthy?

 

WRITING AN ESSAY

Introduction and tips

1. ANSWER THE QUESTION

2. PLAN your essay

3. REVISE your essay to correct mistakes.

4. 4 or 5 PARAGRAPHS, with Introduction and Conclusion

5. The first paragraph should be a general introduction to the subject

6. Develop your arguments in the middle paragraphs

7. Give reasons to support your argument

8. Use a variety of discussive words and phrases

9. Give examples where possible

10. Use formal language

11. Don't use contractions (we're, I've etc.)

12. Sum up your argument in the final paragraph

13. The final paragraph is the best place to express your opinion clearly.

 

a) Writing an essay

A healthy person is often described as someone who has a good diet, gets lots of exercise, and avoids stress. What do people do to stay healthy in your country? Give reasons for your answers and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

1. Young people generally don’t pay enough attention to their health and fitness.
2. Modern lifestyles can seriously endanger our health.

Write your essay in 200-250 words in an appropriate style.

Online Investigations

There are many companies that promote products promising amazing, and often, unbelievable health claims dealing with anything from weight loss to better memory power. For example, diet plans, weight loss aids, and nutritional supplements can provide health benefits, but you have to evaluate claims. So, how can we tell whether the claims are true or not? Search online for a product or service that claims to provide fantastic results, read over the information, and identify any parts of the ad that might be deceptive or misleading. Does the ad use an emotional appeal to get you to buy a product? Share your ideas with a partner.

Health and health problems

a) Discuss the questions below in pairs:

· Can you list some health problems people commonly have?

· Have you ever experienced any of them? Which ones?

· What do you usually do when you have a health problem?

· How often do you seek for medical health?

· Have you ever searched for medical advice in websites? If so, was the information useful?

 

1. The pictures below show some common health problems. Choose the correct option in the box to label them:

sore throat – back pain – sprain – cold – nose bleed - cough

 

a)____________ b)_____________ c)_____________

d)____________ e)______________ f)______________

Auxiliary Verbs are the verbs be, do, have, when they are followed by another verb (the full verb) in order to form a question, a negative sentence, a compound tense or the passive.

The verb "be"

The verb be can be used as an auxiliary and a full verb. As an auxiliary we use this verb for compound tenses and the passive voice. Note that be is an irregular verb:

Simple Present:

I am, he/she/it is, we/you/they are

Simple Past:

I/he/she/it was, we/you/they were

Past Participle:

been

You can tell that in the following sentences be is an auxiliary because it is followed by another verb (the full verb). (For progressive forms use the "-ing" form of the full verb; for passive voice, use the past participle of the full verb.)

Progressive Forms

Present Progressive:

He is playing football.

Past Progressive:

He was playing football.

Present Perfect Progressive:

He has been playing football.

Past Perfect Progressive:

He had been playing football.

Passive

Simple Present/Past:

The house is/was built.

Present/Past Perfect:

The house has/had been built.

Future I:

The house will be built.

"be" as a full verb

The verb be can also be a full verb. In this case, it's not followed by another verb. If be is used as a full verb, we do not need an auxiliary in negative sentences or questions.

positive sentence:

They are fifteen years old.

negative sentence:

They are not fifteen years old.

question:

Are they fifteen years old?

The verb "have"

The verb have, too, can be used both as an auxiliary and as a full verb. As an auxiliary we use this verb to form compound tenses in active and passive voice. (Use the past participle of the full verb.)

"have" in positive sentences

As a full verb have indicates possession. In British English, however, we usually use have got (have being the auxiliary, got the full verb).

full verb:

I have a car.

auxiliary verb:

I have got a car.

"have" in negative sentences and questions

When we use have as a full verb, we must use the auxiliary do in negative sentences and questions. If we use have got, however, we do not need another auxiliary.

have as a full verb:

I do not have a car.

Do I have a car?

have as an auxiliary verb:

I have not got a car.

Have I got a car?

 

The verb "do"

The verb do can be both an auxiliary and a full verb. As an auxiliary we use do in negative sentences and questions for most verbs (except not for be, will, have got and modal verbs) in Simple Present and Simple Past. (Use the infinitive of the full verb.)

The auxiliary "do" in negative sentences

Simple Present:

He does not play football.

Simple Past:

He did not play football.

The auxiliary "do" in questions

Simple Present:

Does he play football?

Simple Past:

Did he play football?

The verb do is irregular:

Simple Present:

I/we/you/they do, he/she/it does

Simple Past:

I/he/she/it/we/you/they did

1. Fill in each blank space with the correct auxiliary verb:

1. ________ the teacher explain this properly?

Did

Was

Had

2. ________ the professor angry?

Did

Was

Had

3. ________ you spoken to him before he called you?

Had

Did

Were

4. If you ________ told me, I would have never found out.

Didn't

Weren't

Hadn't

5. ________ they seeing each other?

Did

Had

Were

6. ________ they continue seeing each other?

Did

Had

Were

7. ________ you learn anything?

Hadn't

Didn't

Weren't

8. ________ he in my American History class?

Didn't

Wasn't

Hadn't

Pre-listening activities

2. You are going to watch an Asian TV commercial about Dengue fever. In pairs, discuss the questions:

 

a) What do you know about Dengue? How is it transmitted?

b) Have you had this disease before? How did you feel? What were the symptoms?

c) Do you know any prevention actions we can take to prevent the mosquito from breeding? Which ones?

Post-listening activities

3. After watching the video, answer the questions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh0GCG2zn5o

 

 

 

a) What’s the purpose of the TV commercial?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

b) In your opinion, why have they chosen a famous actress to talk about that?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

 

c) According to the commercial, how much time does it take for you to protect your house against dengue?

____________________________________________________________

 

d) From the prevention actions shown in the video, which ones have you tried doing in your house?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

e) Do you intend to include others after watching the video? If so, which ones?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

 

 

1. The text below is a self-help and first aid guide with medical advice taken from a hospital website. Read the text and insert the words and expressions from the previous activity in the correct place: