Doctors in Kiev

There is an epidemic of bronchitis in Kiev. I was not immune to it. I started coughing last week. First few days I tried home medicines. As the sound of my cough started to worry me I decided to see a doctor last Wednesday.
I went to a private international clinic my insurance has a contract with. The doctor I had a consultation is not Ukrainian or Russian. He listened to my lungs. Requested to make an x-ray. Within 40 min I brought x-rays of my lungs. The doc pensively looked at them (there were two photos). Than disappeared. Few minutes later he was back with diagnosis: pneumonia.
???...
He told me his diagnosis is confirmed by another doctor at the clinic.
???...
Next he suggested I stay two days in a hospital. After two days I will be released. Of course - he continued - I could go home but recuperating will take longer. Of course I opted to go home.

He started to write prescriptions including antibiotics. While he was busily writing I asked him if he is 100% sure I have pneumonia. He was 100% sure. I asked him if he does not need to do any tests to determine what strain of pneumonia I have. Well, yes we can do tests. I got impression if I did not ask for tests he would not suggest them.
While writing protocol for tests he asked me if I would like to have a diabetes test.
I was puzzled. Any connection between pneumonia and diabetes - I naivly questioned? He did not insist on diabetes test.
After I left my liquids for testing, the doctor told me to come next Monday for a check up. Once again I told him I do not have a fever and my cough is only 5 days old. He told me he has four pneumonia patiens alreday who do not have fever.

I went to the clinic reception to sign an invoice for couple of hundred dollars for the insurance claim. Two x-rays were USD 189. The doctor's consultation fee was USD 230.
The overall bill was sickly excessive for unimpressive medical performance.

In ex-Soviet Union tuberculosis is widespread. With the number of TBC patients Ukraine holds 8th place in Euroasia. The high number of TBC cases is due to a collapse of the health care system after 1990. Currently the state does what it can to address the issue and any pneumonia patient needs to be hospitalized to reduce spreading. The fact that the doctor in the international clinic did not insist on hospitalization made me suspicious.
I was determined to get a second opinion.

I went to British European Medical Centre. There a nice lady doctor checked carefully my lungs. Performed all standard GP check ups (not at all done at the first clinic). After detailed check up she diagnosed bronchitis. Her prescription included coughing syrup and Dr.Mom pastilles.
This restored my spirits. But with two oposite diagnosis a third does not hurt.

Through the office colleague I got a contact number of Dr. Mikhail - a pneumonia specialist. He inclined to diagnose bronchitis but to be sure he asked for x-rays. I know it is not good to have several x-rays the same day. But I did not want to go to the first clinic to get x-rays made in the morning. So I went to a nice, modern, private Ukrainian diagnostic centre. There for UAH 170 ( USD 21) I got an x-ray. The X-ray came with diagnosis - bronchitis.
With three independent opinions stating I have bronchitis and not pneumonia I felt immidiately better.

Now I am a patient of dr. Mikhail. I do not take antibiotics prescribed by the first "doctor". Dr. Mikhail's prescription for curing bronchitis next to "serious" medicine - includes drinking cognac with honey. Three times a day. I am feeling so much better. My kind of a doctor.