Best organization of healthcare to meet the needs of a population: the example of Toulouse region

A team of 28 delegates comprising of leading professionals from different regions of Russia Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan set out on a 6,217 km intercontinental trip to the city of Toulouse, France. They were on a mission that would drive change and have a significant cumulative effect on the healthcare system of Russia and Kazakhstan.

Poised with the vivid and mutual vision of achieving a world-class healthcare system for the citizens of their countries, the Russian Medical Association and the National Medical Association of the Republic of Kazakhstan organized this study trip with the sole purpose to learn from the healthcare veteran, France. Their goal was to discover, evaluate and discuss on France's long-term efforts to achieve such grand strides in this area of social policy. This happens to be the first trip to France for a number of the delegates.

With France, Kazakhstan and Russia ranked 1^st, 64^thand 130^thin the healthcare system of the world respectively by the World Health Organisation (WHO), France was indeed the ideal destination for this learning exposition. The study trip was the Russian and Kazakhstan delegates' opportunity to learn of the pros and cons of the healthcare system from the very best and make improvement on theirs.

This educational trip started at Toulouse with a roundtable discussion at the Health Department regional office and then proceeded to the beautiful town of Castres where they visited the Mazamet State Medical Center. They also visited one of the best regional private clinics of the Capio group in Sète.

The 5-day trip came to an end on the 2^ndof June but not without a visit to the Lagarrigue manufacturing plant of orthopedic products.

The 5-day study tour was no doubt a very good investment of time and effort for the participants. The useful information shared and the interaction with their French counterparts helped the delegates to understand the secret of the French's high level of health care system. They had first-hand opportunity to understand the methodology and practice of one of the leading healthcare systems of the world. They also gain insights into the different prospects and opportunities available to resolve the problem of disabled people adaptation in the modern society through the use of the new and existing technologies. The participants also had the opportunity to learn of the methods of early detection of various diseases.