The unhealthy way

More and more I read about financial problems of Polish hospitals and National Health Fund (Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia aka NFZ) lack of money, more I question the ability of the centralized payer system to function at all.  Polish TVN24, ITVN, Polsat and public TVP, all report testimonies from cancer patients being discharged home because of shortage of chemo drugs.  Online articles display lines upon lines of sick people waiting to be registered to see a specialist or to get treated in local public health centers.  It's like going back to 1980s.  But it's 21 century already.

Source: www.nfz.gov.pl

With the health care workers going on strike almost every year, the Polish government seems to be unable to fix the NFZ problems.  Overwhelming bureaucracy is stalling any real reforms.  Doctors and nurses leave Poland to work in Germany, France, or Great Britain.  Promises are not kept, and there is never enough money in the public coffers.

In contrast, my Polish friends tell me that if you have money, the private clinics will take care of you better than your own mom.  Since the heath care service costs are still lower than in Western Europe, Poland is slowly becoming a budget choice for cost-savvy foreigners, especially Germans.  Dental care tourism is especially popular in the western Poland.

Health care privatization initiatives seem to come and go without any real agenda to cure that situation.  Maybe looking closely at countries like Denmark, Sweden, or France could give some direction to fix the public health care in Poland.  The current situation is way too unhealthy.

The New York Times corrects an anti-Polish slander

On April 13th, under a strong pressure from the Polish-American organizations and community, The New York Times finally issued a correction regarding an anti-Polish slander.   In the article from April 8th, titled "Israel Bars German Laureate Grass Over Poem" by Ethan Bronner and Nicholas Kulish, the authors claimed that Poland supported Nazis during World War II.  

The New York Times writes:

While there were Nazi sympathizers in Poland, especially among ethnic Germans, the Polish people as a whole did not support Nazi ideology nor did Nazism “rise” there. It was imposed by a victorious German army.

Finally, a strong stand to protect Polish honor and contributions during the WWII.  Poland suffered greatly under a German Nazi occupation.  The loss of lives, the extermination of intelligentsia and Polish officers, loss of property, destruction of the cities and infrastructure - cannot be forgotten.  

Claiming that Poland supported German Nazi terror is an insult to the 3,000,000 Poles killed during the war.  Polish community, must squash any attempts to change the true history.  Poland was a victim then but it will not be victimized now with false and defamatory statements.  

Source: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Polish anti-Catholicism or anti-clericalism?

Photo by dimitri_c on SXC

Recently, in overwhelmingly Catholic Poland, more and more voices question the authority of the Roman Catholic Church.  Latest debacle with Telewizja Trwam (Catholic religious TV station) and blatant exclusion from acquiring digital spectrum for the HD conversion in Poland, is just a cherry on the top of the angry mob rants.
While going through some of the Polish-language blogs, for the moment I felt like being at some anti-Catholic convention.  Plenty of the posts are merciless (yes, pun intended) and vicious.  Are Polish Catholics really that disappointed with the Church or they are just plain anti-clerical?

The theme is similar: priests make too much money, their cars are too expensive, fees for sacraments are too high, parishes ask for funds to repair churches, blah blah blah.

And of course, if you can't stand the Church, leave.  There are plenty of other religions available to make your mind spin.  But don't think they print money, oh no, you will pay.

Not quite Ron Paul

Among some of the Polish political blogs, Janusz Korwin Mikke stands up with his take on the Polish and international establishment.  He's a self-proclaimed Ron Paul of Poland but not quite as smooth when it comes to delivering his message.  

His post from April 3, 2012, "Amerykanie trzeźwieją?" - Americans are sobering up? claims that in the face of Arab Spring, American president is unable to handle that region.

The part that surprised me is his statement about female dummies "career diplomats" running the US administration unaware of the fact that they can destroy the world.   

Mr. Korwin Mikke visited the National Security Council and the State Department when Republicans were in charge.  I guess taking cheap shots at the current administration is the way to make some friends abroad.  

Poland doesn't need those statements from 3rd row politicians.  Poland needs true statesmen.

Why now, why here?

What bothers me is the lack of English-language voice from larger Polish organizations that would stand up more frequently for the country. Is it really that difficult to monitor and comment on the current events - affecting Poland and Poles - in Poland and abroad? 

I find the blogging community to be most responsive when it comes to taking on subjects related to Polish community - or any subject, really. Newspapers and online portals do a decent job also. However, looking past the interests of certain groups and forces is a challenge for many. So why now and why here? Because blogging is great!

Why the great, yellow, technically advanced vehicle in the header? Because "FSO Syrena" (trans: mermaid)  was truly a great advancement of Polish engineering at the time. Built from ground up, it was a proof that Poles can do it even under communist rule. The point is, what we lack as a society, we gain as a nation.