Drmno Health Checkups Today: No Medical Card Needed
The Pozarevac Health Center runs free checkups in Drmno today, testing blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol. No medical card required. Dubravica had the same action a day earlier.
Do you need a medical card to get your blood pressure and blood sugar checked? No, you just need to show up at the pharmacy in Drmno today before 11 a.m.
The Pozarevac Health Center is running its “Village Health Days” campaign today, September 16, in the village of Drmno. Checkups run from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the local pharmacy. A day earlier, on September 15, the same team worked in Dubravica, also at the pharmacy, though for two fewer hours, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
What’s measured and who runs it
The offer is the same at both locations:
- blood pressure
- blood sugar
- cholesterol
- body mass index, BMI
- consultation with a doctor
The checkups are carried out by patronage nurses working alongside a doctor from the Adult Healthcare Service. The campaign is aimed at residents of Drmno and the surrounding villages, and the same applied to Dubravica the day before.
In announcing the campaign, the health center was clear on one condition:
“A medical card is not required.”
In practice, that means anyone can come in for a checkup, regardless of whether they hold a registered medical card or have a chosen doctor at that particular facility. The Pozarevac Health Center published the announcement on September 11, four days before the campaign started in Dubravica.
The health center says people shouldn’t wait for symptoms to appear, but should look after their health ahead of time, and it is inviting all interested residents to take advantage of the visit while the team is in the village. That’s the whole point of these campaigns: you show up, get your basic parameters checked, and if the doctor notices anything suspicious, you get referred further in time, rather than the problem being caught only once it has become serious.
Similar story, other end of Serbia
We’ve mostly followed this kind of village outreach in villages around Nis, where a similar series of preventive health days also reached Cerje, with heart exams and a lab that stayed open through Friday. This time it’s a completely different part of Serbia and a different health center, but the principle is the same: a medical team comes to the village so residents don’t have to travel into town to check their basic parameters.
Who benefits most from going
If you live in Drmno or a nearby village and haven’t had your blood pressure or blood sugar checked in a while, this is a chance to do it for free and without an appointment. It’s especially worthwhile for older residents who struggle to get into town, as well as anyone with a family history of high blood pressure or diabetes who doesn’t manage to get regular checkups with a doctor.
Bring your ID card for the records. If you’re already on medication for blood pressure or blood sugar, it helps to know the exact names of your drugs in advance, since the doctor will ask before giving you any advice. If you’re bringing an older parent or neighbor who has trouble walking, factor in some extra time for the queue, since older residents tend to turn out in the largest numbers for these campaigns.
The measurement itself is quick, usually just a few minutes per person, so the wait rarely lasts longer than the checkup. Bring along a note with your latest blood sugar or cholesterol results if you have them, since it makes it easier for the doctor to compare and give faster advice.
If you can’t make it today, keep in mind the Drmno campaign only runs until 11 a.m., so there’s no point rushing at the last minute if the trip to the village takes a while. It’s better to wait for the next announcement, since the Pozarevac Health Center is running these campaigns village by village, so it’s only a matter of time before neighboring places get their turn. We’ll pass that announcement along as soon as it appears, just as we did for Dubravica and Drmno.
