The on-call family doctor works at the Confido center in Tallinn. They help people who need medical care but don't require hospitalization. About 80 people visit each month.
Raimo Saadi says that from October to March, nearly 1100 people visited the on-call doctor. The service may continue, but this is not yet certain. Saadi believes the Health Insurance Fund could fund it.
The on-call doctor could also work in other cities. People come to Tallinn even from other parts of Estonia. The service is useful, for example, during holidays when regular doctors are not working.
The Health Insurance Fund does not yet know if they will fund the service in the future. Raivo Rohtla says that many people still go to hospitals. An on-call doctor would help hospitals if there were specific times to refer patients.
Rohtla says that if a person comes to the hospital with a minor problem, they could be referred to the on-call doctor. This would help both hospitals and patients.