“The ambulance service in Poland will cease to exist”. All the rescuers threw their papers

Contents

Paramedics are protesting
Lubuskie voivodeship without ambulances?
“This is how much we can earn anywhere”
“Other stations will follow us”
Conversations without results
The director proposes a raise

Paramedics employed at the Provincial Ambulance Station in Gorzów Wielkopolski submitted their terminations a few days ago. They are demanding a higher hourly wage. On Wednesday, talks were held with representatives of the voivode and the National Health Fund. However, they did not come to an agreement. In the worst-case scenario, there will be no ambulances from October, because there will be no cast.

The situation in emergency medical services in Poland is getting worse. There is a shortage of money, people to work, and many rescuers are on sick leave
Lifeguards are fighting for a higher hourly wage. In Gorzów, it amounts to PLN 31 gross for contract rescuers
As the appeals for its increase were unsuccessful, all of them resigned
If we do not reach an agreement by the end of the month, the Lubuskie voivodeship will be left without ambulances – says Stanisław Brygier, a lifeguard with 35 years of experience, head of the local Solidarity.
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Paramedics are protesting

Since June, medical rescuers have been protesting almost all over the country. In many institutions, the final form of protest takes place, i.e. the submission of a notice. It happened in Gorzów Wielkopolski. On Monday, 42 such letters were submitted to the Provincial Ambulance Service. Notices were submitted by all contract staff. The notice period is one month, which means that all rescuers’ contracts will expire at the end of September. In the black scenario, this means that from October 1 there will be no one to drive in ambulances.

– I am not surprised that this happened. A rebellion of paramedics could be expected after the covid supplement was cut off. A month ago I wrote a letter to the voivode of Lubuskie with a request to allocate higher expenditures to medical rescue teams, but so far I have not received an answer – said Andrzej Szmit, director of the ambulance service in Gorzów, in an interview with Gazeta Wyborcza.

Lubuskie voivodeship without ambulances?

– If we do not reach an agreement by the end of the month, the Lubuskie Voivodeship will be left without ambulances. We have presented an hourly rate of PLN 70. We’ll see what the answer will be. There is always some room for negotiation. For the time being, the government is washing its hands, and so is the marshal’s office. Everyone takes it lightly. I do not know how it will continue – Stanisław Brygier, chairman of Solidarity, a 35-year-old paramedic told Medonet on Tuesday.

– Working 400 hours a month or even 300 hours a month to earn anything is probably not a good solution – he adds.

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The lack of staff for ambulances will ultimately hit residents, i.e. potential patients. – The society is behind us, our opinions are positive. Voices are favorable on social forums – says Brygier.

“This is how much we can earn anywhere”

The main reason for the protest is, of course, the finances. But it is not only about the amount of remuneration, but also the form of employment. Especially since the tax assumptions of the Polish Dealers, but also many other people employed in this way, will hit even more in the pocket.

— 3 thousand PLN, I can earn anywhere and I will not have to be responsible for human life. And the fund does not even want to offer us a job. Junk contract, the so-called contracts, self-employment – under these conditions, a person has nothing. ZUS has to be paid, taxes have to be paid. And from the new year, in the Polish Lada, ZUS is supposed to be a percentage, it is easy to calculate that at the rate of PLN 31 per hour, how will ZUS and tax pay off, how much will we have left? Half of you are given away right away – says Brygier.

“Society has gone from worship to hate”

Medical rescue is said to be a profession with a mission. In addition to knowledge and experience, you also need to feel called to this job. If there was no agreement, would they imagine working in a different profession? – You get used to another job. If we don’t come to an agreement, we’ll manage some. People from the advertisement can be found to a shop or an office, says the head of Solidarity in Gorzów.

– We all have a long history of work in Gorzów. But how much can you withstand the pressure and this situation. The ministry says it supports our position, but ends up with declarations. There is silence on the part of the government, as if nothing had happened. We have time until the end of the month, we’ll see. There is a monthly termination notice, so it’s not like we are giving notice today and we don’t come to work tomorrow – adds the lifeguard.

“Other stations will follow us”

A rescuer from the Gorzów Voivodeship Ambulance Service reminds that the protest is nationwide. He talks about similar actions in Olsztyn, Wrocław, Katowice and Łódź.

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– I suspect that other stations will follow us, because it is already thick. The protest in the form of walking around the city with a flag did nothing. Dramatic measures must be taken. We won a ministerial raise two years ago, they did it as a bonus, not in salary. It depends on the whim of the fund. The recent government increases have also knocked us out. They offer themselves 60 percent, and us 3 percent. and only if they have something left – says Brygier.

– After 35 years of work, I’m fed up with being constantly kicked. Thanks for the fight against the pandemic, applause from the balcony – this is how I won’t pay my bills. If they do not bow, the ambulance service in Poland will cease to exist – emphasizes the rescuer.

Conversations without results

The protest has been going on for several weeks, but it was only such a radical step on the part of the rescuers that made something move in this matter. The voivodeship authorities reacted. On Wednesday, the rescuers from Gorzow held talks with the director of the Lubuskie NFZ Piotr Bromber and a representative of the voivode.

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As Stanisław Brygier revealed to us, they did not bring any results. – Nothing has changed. The protest continues, we are on denunciations – says.

The meeting is also planned in the capital. The Lubuskie Voivode was to meet on Wednesday with Deputy Health Minister Waldemar Kraska, responsible for rescue.

– I do not think it will bring any results – emphasizes the Gorzów rescuer.

The director proposes a raise

Without waiting for the results of the talks, director Andrzej Szmit wrote a letter to the head of Solidarity on Tuesday, in which he presented a proposal for pay rises.

«After 30 years of managing the Independent Public Provincial Ambulance Station in Gorzów Wielkopolski, I am very aware that the most valuable assets in health care are people, and the greatest responsibility is to care for employees and patients. In the spirit of this responsibility, however, violating the principles of sustainable economics, I decided to increase the salaries of medical personnel, ”we read in the letter.

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«I propose to increase the salaries of contract rescuers as of August 1 this year. Up to PLN 55 per hour of work, with an adequate conversion of this rate into salaries of full-time rescuers and a proportional increase in hourly rates for all doctors who have signed contracts with our unit ».

Andrzej Szmit points out in the letter that his proposal may disturb the current budget balance, which may result in “proceedings by the Spokesman for Budget Discipline or even dismissing me from the position of SPWSPR director in Gorzów Wlkp”.

Stanisław Brygier briefly assesses the proposal of the director of the Gorzów Ambulance Service: – From the empty one, and Solomon does not drink.