Tiltai

At present, the Covid-19 pandemic is controlled in many countries by the development of the vaccination and/or the natural immunity of the population. Unfortunately, Lithuania is on the list of the most affected countries in Europe and the world, taking into account the loss of population both from the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and from increased mortality from other diseases. We will probably not avoid a pandemic in the future, so it is necessary to analyse why Lithuania has been less successful than neighbouring countries in overcoming the pandemic. The aim of this study is to compare the excess mortality of the population of Lithuania and other countries during the Covid-19 pandemic, and to discuss the possible causes and consequences of the exceptionally high excess mortality of the Lithuanian population. Material and methods: analysis of indicators, comparison of data. The results of the analysis show that a number of countries (Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Malta and Germany) not only did not experience significant excess mortality, but their Covid-19 victims per one million population were also incomparably fewer than in Lithuania. In some countries (Luxembourg, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Denmark), life expectancy increased, suggesting that improvements in public health have been possible even during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is recommended that the experience of these countries be analysed, in order to avoid disruption to public health resulting in exceptionally high excess mortality from Covid-19 and other diseases and a decline in life expectancy.

The article presents the situation of patients in Poland, based on existing data (non reactive research), and individual interviews with Patients’ Agents in the given clinic or hospital and Patient’s Ombudsmen. It presents doctor-patient relationships in the daily routine of a health centre in the context of Polish law and procedures, and highlights the role of the Patients’ Ombudsmen in creating a patient-friendly environment. Due to the large number of hospitalisations, whose duration is continually shortened because of financial limitations, ensuring the patient’s well-being is becoming increasingly difficult.

Scientific journal Tiltai / Bridges / Brücken published by Klaipėda University (established in 1991) is devoted to the issues of social sciences, and seeking academic dialogue, also to other human and society functioning-related humanities and biomedical sciences, with expand and interpret different social phenomena and current issues from an interdisciplinary perspective. The publications attempts at analysing and solving actual problems of economy, management, demography, social geography, geopolitics, political sciences, history, education, religious, regional planning and land use, other social problems. Science has no borders. Therefore scientific cooperation is one of the most important elements in the progress of world’s community. Scientists from different countries of the world are kindly invited to write for and contribute to the journal.

The aim of the research is to evaluate the change in the psychomotor reactions of six and seven-year-old children when applying physical therapy. The research involved children at the age of six and seven years. It aimed at evaluating both the change in the speed of the psychomotor reactions of these children’s free upper limbs to light while applying physical therapy, and the change in the speed of the psychomotor reactions of free upper limbs to sound while applying physical therapy. The research sample consisted of 270 children. Methods. The research data was collected by employing a method of testing using a reactiometer. The surveyed were divided into two research groups, which underwent different programmes in physical therapy exercises twice a week for the duration of six weeks. Group 1 underwent a physical therapy exercise programme comprising introductory, main and final parts (warm-up exercises, exercises developing coordination, and relaxation exercises); Group 2 also underwent a physical therapy programme comprising introductory, main and final parts (warm-up exercises, exercises developing the coordination, and exercises developing the psychomotor reactions to light and sound as well as relaxation exercises). The research data (testing) was collected before starting applying the physical therapy programme, and six weeks later. Results. The research results revealed that the results between the groups differed. The average reaction time was shorter in Group 2, which means that the tasks were completed faster. In Group 1, the shortest reaction time was 283 ms, and the longest was 650 ms. In Group 2, the shortest reaction time was 284 ms, and the longest was 456 ms. Conclusions. When applying physical therapy jointly with purposive exercises that develop the speed of psychomotor reactions, results can be achieved over the shortest period of time substantiated in scientific papers, i.e. six weeks.