[The status and perspectives of general pediatrics in Czechoslovakia].

Health community paediatric care in Czechoslovakia has the character of comprehensive health care ensured completely by the paediatrician who is to an increasing extent acting as the family paediatrician. He cooperates closely with other health workers concerned with child care in other areas and disciplines of nation-wide child care. His work is closely linked with other facilities and institutions of health care, in particular all types of hospitals with policlinics. In the article the main tasks and perspectives of paediatric care in the health community are given; close cooperation of the paediatrician with the child's family and the child is essential. Preventive care is closely linked with curative care, the latter must in future be mainly in the home rather than in hospital. The school health service integrated into the health community system, while respecting health and hygienic needs of all classes and the school, in relation to the teaching process, is given new tasks. The author discusses problems of postgraduate training, methodical guidance and evaluation of the effectiveness of work of the paediatrician in the first line of contact.