479 – according to the data of the Polish Society of Epidemiologists and Doctors of Infectious Diseases (PTEiLChZ), the addition of so many doctors specialists in the field of infectious diseases currently work in infectious wards in Poland. Let us add that this number includes medics undergoing specialization. In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, this is definitely not enough. Already in spring, the Ministry of Health added infectious diseases to the list of priority areas, but it seems that more incentives are needed for young doctors to start educating themselves in this field.
Meanwhile, podyśmie.pl cites the data of the Supreme Medical Chamber, which determines the number of all infectious disease specialists practicing in the profession at 1122 – including 1006 specialist doctors and 116 doctors with the first degree of specialization. The average age of doctors is over 60 years. Apart from the fact that many retirees are still professionally active, the statistics of PTEiLChZ also show considerable disproportions in terms of the number of specialists in individual provinces. And so, the most active specialists and residents work in the infectious wards in the province. Mazowieckie, 93 and 13 people respectively, and 79 and 9 in Warsaw itself. There are only 3 infectious doctors in Opole, and none of the young people has recently chosen this specialization. The same is the province. Pomeranian Voivodeship, where 10 doctors work in infectious wards, but there are no residents there. For the entire province Lubuskie has 6 doctors and one resident. In the province in Lubuskie, Opolskie, Pomorskie, Świętokrzyskie and Warmińsko-Mazurskie, all infectious diseases (including working pensioners) are slightly more than 10 people.
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PTEiLChZ reports that on October 11 this year, there were 80 residents working in infectious wards in our country, and the national consultant in the field of infectious diseases at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic drew attention to the decreasing number of applicants for residency in this field. The Ministry of Health also noted a small number of people starting a specialization.
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Current residents will not replace the natural departure of the staff. Why this lack of interest in infectious diseases? The specialization is not financially attractive. As a priority, it is associated with higher remuneration for residents, but infectious diseases doctors are employed only in public healthcare institutions. And there, as you know, financial conditions are worse than in private.
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