NIK reveals irregularities in confirmation of spa status

• Between 2018 and 2022, the six spa municipalities audited did not take sufficient corrective measures to reduce low emissions.
• None of the 12 spas met air sanitation requirements, yet the Minister of Health confirmed their status.
• In several cases, concentrations of dangerous pollutants exceeded standards by up to several hundred percent, endangering the health of visitors.

The NIK has criticized the actions of the Ministry of Health and the institutions responsible for confirming the therapeutic properties of the climate, pointing to numerous negligence and the lack of a reliable assessment of air quality in the process of granting the status of spas.

Downplaying the problem of air pollution

Poland currently has 47 health resorts, most of which are located in the southern part of the country, where air quality is generally worse than in other regions. Despite this, the problem of air pollution was often ignored during procedures to confirm spa status. The NIK noted that documentation for assessing the therapeutic properties of the climate lacked reliable information about the state of the air and evidence to exclude negative effects of pollution on the human body. Despite this, the Minister of Health confirmed the status of spas, ensuring that they met all the requirements set forth in the regulations.

Ineffective corrective actions

Between 2018 and 2022, the six spa municipalities audited took some measures to improve air quality, such as replacing solid fuel boilers with cleaner ones and inspecting heating systems. However, the NIK assessed these measures as insufficient and unreliable. Moreover, in some cases municipalities failed to meet the requirements of air protection programs, which affected their effectiveness. Although there was some improvement in air quality between 2018 and 2022, it was not significant enough to eliminate exceedances of standards for some pollutants.

The problem of pollution and the health of patients

In the spa climate assessment documentation, air pollution standards were found to be exceeded in 11 of the 12 spas studied between 2015 and 2017. In some places, concentrations of PM10 particulate matter reached as high as 334% of the permissible level, and concentrations of the carcinogen benzopyrene B(a)P were exceeded by 1450%. Despite such alarming results, these spas conducted therapeutic activities, even during the cold season, when air quality is at its worst. As a result, visitors - including high-risk patients such as seniors, children and patients recovering from respiratory diseases - were exposed to the harmful effects of polluted air.

Conclusions and recommendations

The results of the NIK audit indicate that significant changes are needed in the process of evaluating and confirming the status of health resorts in Poland. It is crucial that air quality and its impact on patients' health be reliably taken into account when issuing climate certificates and decisions on spa status. In addition, resort municipalities should take stronger measures to reduce air pollution, especially during the cold season, when the problem is most acute.

If air quality problems in spas are not addressed, treatment in these places may do more harm than good, especially for people with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, urgent action is needed at both the local and governmental levels so that Poland's spas can actually fulfill their therapeutic role.

Source: NIK