Ungheni District Hospital has added a new service to its outpatient offering: as of 10 August, patients can book a consultation with a nephrologist — the doctor who deals with kidney diseases. The consultations take place in the hospital’s consultative department, in room 518, between 8.00 and 15.00, by appointment only, at the number 0236 28 572.
The announcement was made by the institution, which specifies that this is a specialty profile added to Outpatient Specialist Care (AMSA) — the department where the hospital provides consultations across several specialties, free of charge for people insured through the National Health Insurance Company (CNAM).
What a nephrologist does
The nephrologist is the doctor specialised in the medical diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases — from chronic kidney disease and renal failure to renal-cause high blood pressure and preparing patients for dialysis. They should not be confused with the urologist, who is the surgeon of the urinary system and operates, for instance, on kidney stones or prostate conditions. In short: you go to a nephrologist for the function of the kidneys and their chronic diseases, not for a surgical intervention.
According to the hospital, a nephrology consultation is recommended when signs appear such as:
- swelling of the legs and/or face;
- high blood pressure that is difficult to control;
- pain in the kidney area;
- frequent or, conversely, reduced urination;
- diabetes mellitus — to prevent kidney complications;
- elevated urea and creatinine values in test results;
- the presence of blood or protein in the urine.
Among the conditions for which you can turn to a nephrologist, the institution lists chronic kidney disease, renal failure, urinary infections, glomerulonephritis and pyelonephritis, diabetic nephropathy, monitoring of kidney stones and the evaluation of patients who might need dialysis.
Why it matters close to home
Chronic kidney diseases are closely linked to diabetes and hypertension — two common conditions, especially among the elderly, that require long-term follow-up: repeated tests, treatment adjustments, regular check-ups. For a chronic patient in an ageing district, where one in four residents is a pensioner, every consultation that can be done in Ungheni means one fewer trip to Chișinău — a cost and an effort that the geography of access to care weighs more heavily on older people.
Usually, the road to a specialist doctor goes through the family doctor, who assesses and issues the referral. The new service adds to a series of recent additions at the hospital, following the renovation of the neurology department and the free screening services provided through the regional centre.
Those who wish to book can call 0236 28 572; consultations take place in room 518, in the 8.00–15.00 interval.