Health ministry's successes after ten months in government

The occasion for summaries and discussions was the opening session of the 20th Health Market Forum, which was attended in full by the health ministry leadership. Izabela Leszczyna was asked, among other things, whether, with her current knowledge, she would give up some of the "health specifics" that were on her party's list of election promises. She answered that she would not - but perhaps she would word some differently. At the same time, she assured that "12 concretes, including 11 strictly health concretes and one on the KPO are implemented." A concrete that could be reformulated is, of course, "the abolition of limits in hospital treatment." - It turned out that after the abolition of limits in specialized care, queues did not shorten, and even got longer. We abolished limits in palliative and hospice care," she recalled. In her view, in order for this promise to be fulfilled, the organization of the system must change - something the ministry is pursuing by "inverting the pyramid of benefits."

- There are things that have succeeded as if by magic. I was talking, for example, about the National Reconstruction Plan. We did it in a month versus two years of inaction of helplessness. IVF was successful. We have more than 300 pregnancies in this program. 15,000 people who had no chance to have children of their own qualified for the program. Prenatal tests, which have no age limit, have also been accomplished. We will pay for them even if the limits run out, as doctors sometimes alert us to," she assured.

The minister also mentioned on the side of successes, but also tasks, the National Oncology Network, whose implementation has been delayed for a year. - In essence, we are creating it from scratch. It is my priority to make it so that a person who receives a cancer diagnosis gets on the path, has a coordinator and knows what to do. This is a task for our entire team," said Izabela Leszczyna. - The effects will be seen soon.

In the context of financial problems and ending limits, Leszczyna referred to the health premium. - We can't afford to reduce the health premium," said Izabela Leszczyna, citing the example of the Czechs, who spend 9% of their GDP on health. - No one will convince me that there can be less money in health care," she said. The minister agrees to abolish the premium on the sale of fixed assets, but - nothing more (this shortfall is to be covered by a larger subsidy from the state budget).

- In health care, we are able to spend all the money. Next year we have 221 billion, 26 billion more in the NFZ than was in this year's plan. (...) We all know that medical technology, and therefore the cost of treatment, is high. The health premium will not catch up with this. We should offer ourselves a serious debate as to what we must and want financially for sure, with the understanding that we are bound by the financial plan. In my opinion, it is more important to treat an oncology patient, because we have a chance to save him, than to implant an endoprosthesis," the health minister said.