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According to prof. Piotr Czauderna from the Medical University of Gdańsk, such a large influx of refugees from Ukraine to Poland may cause problems for the Polish health service. Both when it comes to chronic diseases, as well as ordinary illnesses or injuries, which will be more and more. He also pointed out that there may be infectious diseases that have not been present in our country for a long time.
- Since Our Country launched its invasion of Ukraine, over 2 million refugees have appeared in Poland
- – Epidemiologically, a threat may appear – says prof. Piotr Czauderna, noting that vaccination coverage in Ukraine is much lower than in Poland
- – We are not only talking about COVID-19, but also about other diseases that have not occurred in Poland for a long time, such as whooping cough, tuberculosis or diphtheria – added Czauderna
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Whooping cough, diphtheria and tuberculosis may appear
On Thursday, the guest of the Radio Gdańsk broadcast was the head of the Department and Clinic of Surgery and Urology of Children and Youth at the Medical University of Gdańsk and the chairman of the Healthcare Council under the President of the Republic of Poland, prof. Piotr Czauderna. He was asked, inter alia, for the condition of the Polish health service.
In his opinion, we are dealing with two problems. – One is people who have been under intensive treatment for a variety of serious conditions, such as cancer or chronic kidney disease requiring dialysis. On the other hand, we have common illnesses that occur in the common population – pneumonia, appendicitis, injuries, etc. They result from a large number of refugees in Poland – explained the doctor.
The professor also pointed out that vaccination coverage in Ukraine is much lower than in Poland.
– Epidemiological danger may arise. We are not only talking about COVID-19, but also about other diseases that have not occurred in Poland for a long time, such as whooping cough, diphtheria or tuberculosis. This will require a different approach and the rapid implementation of vaccination in these patients. As far as I know, work is underway at the Ministry of Health to introduce mandatory vaccinations for children for patients from Ukraine, which are obligatory for Polish citizens – he stressed.
- See also: Tuberculosis is a forgotten disease? Poland in the infamous forefront of Europe
Refugees will not increase the number of cases
He also said that the and Chinese vaccines against COVID-19 used in Ukraine were not approved by the European Medicines Agency.
– A broad vaccination campaign for Ukrainian citizens would make sense. It is reassuring that we do not see an increased tide of COVID-19 cases yet. Computer simulations, mathematical models of the pandemic development that are being carried out, do not show that this great migration would contribute to the increase in the number of cases. This is due to the fact that most people from Ukraine have contracted COVID-19, he said.
According to Professor Czauderna, the percentage of herd immunity in Ukraine is similar to the Polish one. – In Poland, it is estimated at around 95%, in Ukraine it is around 90%. – he pointed out.
The professor was also asked about the impact of the large number of refugees from Ukraine on the health system in Poland. He noted that the exact number of people who ended up in our country is not known.
- See also: What is the level of herd immunity in Poland? Latest data.
– We do not know how many of the 2 million people who crossed the border remained in Poland. After assigning PESEL numbers and full registration, everything will be clarified. However, it is certainly a burden for the Polish health care system in terms of its capabilities, human resources, the capacity of hospitals or clinics, and also in terms of the possibility of financing these additional benefits. Therefore, it is very important to provide assistance from abroad, from the European Commission or the United Nations, to subsidize the Polish health care system, which will operate at increased turnover, and to finance some of the additional services provided – he emphasized.
According to the professor, Polish society still has a willingness to help and empathy towards citizens from Ukraine.
– These are not people who came to Poland voluntarily, but fled from the war-torn area, saving their lives. Today is understanding. We will see what it will look like next. It is not about the citizens of Ukraine having priority access to the Polish health care system. They have to enter the system. If we have records for scheduled treatments and hospitalizations, they must also enter these lists – emphasized the doctor.
Do you want to test your COVID-19 immunity after vaccination? Have you been infected and want to check your antibody levels? See the COVID-19 immunity test package, which you will perform at Diagnostics network points.
The professor also hopes that some people from Ukraine will want to work in the Polish health service.
Author: Piotr Mirowicz (PAP).
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