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.
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| 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.
