How do you check the licence of the place you are going to?

When you visit a healthcare facility for the first time, you can ask to see three things. All three are your right, and there is nothing wrong with asking.

• The certificates on the wall. The licence and the doctor’s diploma are displayed where they can be seen. Check whether the name on the certificate is the same as the name of the person who will treat you.
• The doctor’s field of specialty. The diploma shows graduation from a faculty of medicine, and the specialist certificate shows the field. Skin and hair complaints fall under dermatology.
• The name and type of the establishment. Does the sign say practice, polyclinic or beauty salon? The type of establishment decides which services can be provided there.

If you are coming from abroad, there is one more certificate: the international health tourism authorisation certificate. It is issued by the Ministry of Health and is required to treat foreign patients. You can ask for the certificate number.

You can also check online. The Ministry of Health’s records of doctors and facilities are open to the public.

If a place is uncomfortable about showing its certificates, that is an answer in itself.