– We see a progressive collapse, under-financing, and failure of the health care system. We work several jobs, over-power – says Łukasz Jankowski, deputy chairman of the Alliance of Residents of the OZZL, which today sent letters * to Prime Minister Beata Szydło, Deputy Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Minister of Health Konstanty Radziwiłł. Young doctors announce a hunger strike. What do they demand in the letters?
- Young doctors feel neglected by the government. They believe that they earn too little, work excessively, and that they cannot effectively treat patients due to the dramatic under-financing of the Polish health care system. They wrote a letter to Prime Minister Beata Szydło, Deputy Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Minister of Health Konstanty Radziwiłł
- The number of doctors and nurses per 1000 inhabitants is one of the lowest in Europe in Poland. In addition, more and more doctors emigrate immediately after graduation, or do not start working in the profession at all, so if nothing changes, the situation will be even more dramatic
- Residents (doctors in the process of specialization) demand a meeting with the rulers in the letter. If it does not happen or it fails, doctors decide to go on a hunger strike. They announce it at the beginning of the academic year, i.e. in October
– We accepted with great hope the assurances of the Prime Minister, who in her exposé stated that the government appreciates the work of doctors and that doctors should be highly remunerated. Unfortunately, these words were not followed by deeds, and the situation of young doctors in Poland continues to worsen – says Łukasz Jankowski. And he adds that not only is the number of doctors and nurses per 1000 inhabitants in Poland one of the lowest in Europe, but also more and more of them, fresh after graduation, emigrate or do not take up employment in the profession. And experienced doctors are also changing their profession more and more often, to a non-medical one, of course.
This is not surprising when you compare the salaries of young doctors with salaries in other industries, not to mention the salaries offered to doctors abroad. Internship doctors currently earn the minimum wage. – Is this the “appreciation” that the Prime Minister talked about? – asks rhetorically Łukasz Jankowski, vice-chairman of the Alliance of Residents of OZZL.
And he says bluntly: “It is with great regret that we have exhausted the possibilities of dialogue with the government – there has never been a dialogue with the Ministry of Health, because the Ministry has consistently ignored the substantive arguments presented by us, demanding that we blindly accept our arguments, and we meet the Prime Minister. we have been waiting unsuccessfully for over a year ”.
Although doctors do not hide their great disappointment, they still hope that the situation will change. – Once again, on the eve of the start of this protest, we asked for an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Szydło, Prime Minister Morawiecki and Minister Radziwiłł. Still – in spite of our experience to date – we hope for a dialogue with the government and the presentation of proposals that would be satisfactory for both sides, says Łukasz Jankowski.
If the meeting does not take place or it ends in a fiasco, helpless in the face of the deteriorating health care situation, doctors who do not see any prospects for improvement in their situation, will decide to go on a hunger strike. They will start with it after the end of the student holiday break – on October 2, 2017.
*
The content of the letter sent by the resident doctors to Prime Minister Beata Szydło, Deputy Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Minister of Health Konstanty Radziwiłł:
“In connection with the entry into force of the Act of June 08.06.2017, 02.10.2017 on the method of determining the lowest basic salary of employees working in medical professions, expected by the amendment to the Regulation of the Minister of Health on the amount of the basic monthly salary of doctors and dentists specializing in residency, and Also the hunger protest planned by the Alliance of Residents, related to the poor situation of public health care and the lack of expected positive changes in this respect (the protest is planned to start on XNUMX), we would like to ask for an urgent meeting.
Yours faithfully, on behalf of the Board of the Alliance of Residents of the National Trade Union of Doctors, Łukasz Jankowski – Vice-President of PR OZZL ”.
The photo shows a protest of resident doctors, Warsaw, June 4, 2016, photo: Joanna Matecka