The delivery room in New Town Lubawskie will be transformed

The situation was the subject of many meetings and discussions between the Warmian-Masurian Regional Office of the National Health Fund (NFZ), the founding body and the hospital management, according to the Ministry of Health, published on Monday (26.08.2024). The process of agreement in this regard took almost two years, and the final decision was made in May. As a result of these arrangements, as of September 1 this year, the gynecology-obstetrics department at the hospital will be transformed and will provide scheduled gynecology services. Such a solution was worked out in an agreement between the National Health Fund, the District Office and the hospital's management.

The MZ assures that patients giving birth from Nowe Miasto Lubawskie and the surrounding area are provided with full care in neighboring gynecology and obstetrics departments, including in Ilawa, just 26 km away. The hospital in Ilawa is fully prepared and has declared to take care of pregnant patients. In addition, the Iława hospital has also taken over staff from the department in Nowe Miasto Lubawskie.

The ministry stresses that the above decisions are not related to the draft law on amendments to the law on publicly funded health care services and certain other laws, concerning changes in hospitality, submitted for public consultation on August 9 this year. The draft does not determine how many hospitals with surgical wards (e.g., general surgery wards) or hospitals with gynecological and obstetric wards will meet the criteria for qualification for the so-called hospital network under the new rules. As a reminder, these are to take effect from 2027.

The final, detailed eligibility criteria for surgical and obstetric wards will be in the regulation - after additional analysis and extensive consultation, taking into account the need to adequately secure surgical services in the area.

Meanwhile, fewer and fewer children are being born in Poland. Last year, 272,000 children were born.

"We are working to adapt the offer of hospitals to the needs of the community. The NFZ is also to take into account the geographical criterion and will sign contracts with those maternity wards that secure areas far from other hospitals. If the plan for the purchase of services for the province shows that some hospital services will be insufficiently secured in a given area, supplementary proceedings will be held for the conclusion of contracts with the NFZ - under the general rules (competitive bidding/bidding)," the ministry added in the announcement.

elaborated. based on a communiqué from the Ministry of Health