Presidential bill on special geriatric care after first reading in committees. Opposition: the bill is an indictment of the Health Ministry's activities over the past 8 years

Małgorzata Paprocka, Minister in the Office of the President, stressed during the committee's meeting that the purpose of the bill is to provide special geriatric care to people who have reached the age of 75. According to the president, the regulation directly implements the provisions of the Polish Constitution, which indicates that public authorities have an obligation to provide special health care to children, pregnant women, people with disabilities and the elderly.

The current state of the law needs to be supplemented, especially since at the end of 2021 the number of people aged 75 and over in Poland was more than 2.5 million, accounting for more than 7 percent of the population. In 2040, the share of people over 75 in the total population will reach 14 percent, and in 2050 - even 16.5 percent.

One of the most significant innovations envisioned in the presidential draft is to be the 75+ health centers.

- It is there that it will be possible to take a comprehensive approach to diagnosing and treating the patient, and, if necessary, to rehabilitate him in various scopes. The main goal of the center's operation will be coordinated medical care for geriatric patients. This is indicated by specialists as one of the most essential elements of care for people over 75. With the implementation of a comprehensive medical service, it will be possible to curb dependency and increase the chances of postponing the need for long-term care for these patients," said Malgorzata Paprocka.

The system is to operate based on hospital geriatric wards, the aforementioned 75+ health centers and primary health care. The basis for the operation of the centers in the regions will be a provincial plan for special geriatric care, drawn up by the provincial governor and then approved by the health minister. The newly established centers will be organized by counties. They are to provide health care services, especially in the field of geriatrics, by a doctor or nurse, but also rehabilitation, psychological support, dietary support or health education, as well as transport and food for patients.

As assessed by Deputy Health Minister Waldemar Kraska, the proposed solutions will complement the existing services in the healthcare system.

- The goal of the law is not to reorganize geriatric care, but to incorporate new proposals aimed at clearly defined groups of patients into the existing framework. It is assumed that by implementing a comprehensive medical service, it will be possible to curb dependency and increase the chances of postponing the need for long-term care. The most significant of the new solutions are the introduction of geriatric screening at the level of the POZ, as well as the launch of 75+ health centers and new geriatric wards, says the deputy health minister.

However, according to the opposition, the law's proceeding demonstrates the Health Ministry's failure to fulfill its responsibilities.

- It is a de facto indictment of the activities of the Ministry of Health over the past eight years, which has not created a system of geriatric care in Poland, that such a system does not function in our country. By the middle of 2022, there was no geriatric ward in the Warmian-Masurian voivodeship, and one each in the Podlasie and West Pomeranian voivodeships," mentioned MP Michal Szczerba of Civic Platform.

As Mr. Szczerba added, in mid-2021 there were only 511 active geriatricians in Poland. The worst situation is in the Świętokrzyskie province, where there is only one geriatrician per 60,000 seniors.