PLN 1,200 per day for hospitalization in a child psychiatry unit. Health minister says scandal and orders audit

A commercial child psychiatric ward has been opened at the public St. Luke's Hospital in Boleslawiec. The price of a one-day hospitalization is PLN 1,200. Health Minister Adam Niedzielski, asked about the matter in an interview with the RMF station, said that if this is indeed the case, it is a scandal.

- A situation in which you prey on the huge demand for these services and dictate a high price is a form of unethical behavior. We will ask for an explanation of this situation. We will carefully examine whether this is within the bounds of the law. Any new ward, regardless of whether it is public or private, must have the approval of the governor, and we will investigate this as well," the health ministry head said.

As Gazeta Wroclawska reports, the Lower Silesian Provincial Office has already implemented an inspection procedure of the ward at the minister's order. Journalists also asked the hospital's director, Kamil Barczyk, about the matter. As he explained, the decision to create a commercial ward was made about a year ago and was a response to the needs of psychiatric care. The price for inpatient care, he said, is commensurate with the high standard, which includes intimate conditions (22 beds), access to individual group therapy, as well as the possibility of occupational therapy and going outside the ward. Patient admissions are planned from July. There are five child and adolescent psychiatric wards throughout Lower Silesia with contracts with the National Health Fund.