General protest by farmers in Germany will hit Polish doctors

Farmers are expected to block much of the access roads on the Polish-German border. The situation will be felt in Kolbaskowo or Lubieszyn, among other places.

Concerned about the situation is the medical community. A huge number of doctors, nurses and pharmacists commute from Szczecin to work every day.

- The topic is already being dealt with by a committee for doctors practicing abroad. The last few months have been very difficult for hospital employees in Prenzlau or Schwedt, as stationary controls at the border very often took up a lot of their time. Operating on the Polish-German border has been much more difficult for some time, and Monday's protest will be another element that makes it difficult or even impossible for medical workers to reach patients, says Rafal Krysztopik, a representative of the Regional Medical Council for doctors practicing abroad.

- Some doctors will come to work on Sunday evening or stay overnight in rented apartments or at doctors' friends' houses. We are organizing so that we can get to work on Monday, and we know that this would be impossible if we commuted from Szczecin. This is a scale of protest so far unprecedented in Germany. This causes us great concern," adds Krysztopik.

A challenge for the Polish Government and local government

The chairman of the Regional Medical Council in Szczecin, Michal Bulsa, admits that the issue of the situation of the Polish-German border region should attract more active interest from the government and local authorities.

- We do not notice that this is a burning topic for those in power, which is a pity, because every day people living on the German side come to work with us, and workers, including from the health sector, who live in Szczecin and the region go to Germany. Their standard of living has been severely hampered in recent times," adds the ORL president.

Source: OIL in Szczecin