Unexpected ailments during the holidays: where to turn and what to know
During the holiday season, people change their usual daily routines, spend more active time, and travel more, which increases the risk of ailments or injuries. As Easter approaches, it is important to know where to turn if your health is affected, so you can receive help smoothly and avoid unnecessary expenses.
“During holidays, medical help is most often needed for suddenly occurring seasonal illnesses, such as acute upper respiratory infections or the flu. People also seek assistance when postoperative care is required – for example, when a dressing needs to be changed. Residents come for minor injuries as well. Such medical care is usually provided by facilities offering family doctor services, so it is important to know where to turn when these are closed,” says Diana Prochorova, Senior Specialist at the Service Reimbursement Division of the National Health Insurance Fund.
Family medical facilities – such as polyclinics, family doctor offices, clinics, or centers – inform their patients where free primary healthcare can be accessed outside of working hours, on weekends, and during holidays. This information is published on the medical facility’s website, on notice boards, and provided through telephone answering systems after business hours. It can also be obtained by asking at the reception of a treatment facility.
When to see a family doctor
Outside of regular working hours, on rest days and holidays, patients of these medical facilities can receive urgent outpatient care – family medicine services needed for acute health issues that require attention within 24 hours. Examples include severe pain, prolonged fever, minor injuries, acute allergic reactions, nausea, or vomiting.
For children, urgent care is needed if temperature above 37.8 °C persists for more than a day, or if a rash, pain, or superficial wounds appear.
Urgent outpatient care is provided by city emergency medical offices, for example in Vilnius or Šiauliai, and in other cities – by hospital emergency departments.
“It is important to remember that scheduled healthcare services or prescriptions for everyday medications are not considered urgent care. These should be arranged in advance by registering with your family doctor or nurse, not on weekends or holidays,” reminds D. Prochorova.
The service is also available to patients not registered with a medical facility, insured under compulsory health insurance, and uninsured residents who are entitled to emergency medical care and essential services.
When to go to the hospital for emergency care
If there is a real threat to health or life and the person’s condition allows, one should go to the hospital emergency department. Examples include severe injuries, uncontrolled heavy bleeding, serious burns, heart function problems, loss of coordination, and other life-threatening situations. In such cases, the hospital provides emergency medical care.
Emergency care is provided free of charge to both residents insured under compulsory health insurance and those without insurance. However, if it turns out that the situation is not urgent, the doctor may recommend seeing a family doctor on a scheduled basis, or the services provided may be charged.
If urgent help is needed – call 112
If a person’s health condition is severe, life-threatening, or there is a risk of serious complications, emergency medical services should be called immediately at 112. Ambulance services are usually required in accidents, such as traffic incidents or fires. They are also necessary for life-threatening critical health conditions, such as stroke or heart attack, or loss of consciousness.
For advice on how to help yourself or others when there is no immediate threat to life or health, the number 113 can be called. If needed, the dispatcher can send an ambulance.
The NHIF invites you:
- Read the most important news on Facebook: https://goo.gl/ML8SqJ
- See recent pictures on Instagram: https://goo.gl/tXvpXr
- Watch videos on Youtube: https://goo.gl/BPBep2
- Follow exclusive infographics and more in Flickr: https://goo.gl/Hsyhq4
- Follow us on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/2sxfh66j
- Your questions are welcome by email [email protected] or phone +370 5 232 2222/public/canonical/1775195118/14094/Ill%20woman%20coughing%20Getty%20Images.png
Last updated: 13-04-2026
Related news:
Joint replacement surgery: mobility is restored for thousands of patients every year
Experts advise: how to obtain reimbursable medicines at a pharmacy?
Health budget in 2025: what benefits did we receive?
The right to be informed: what is important to know about reimbursable healthcare