What did the medical world live in 2023? We look at what the most relevant information brought in the months of July through September.

JULY

On July 1, the epidemic emergency was lifted. It is no longer necessary to wear masks in hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and other medical facilities. However, the hospital manager may impose such an obligation if he deems it necessary. Vaccination against COVID-19 is still free for all eligible persons.

Since the beginning of July, treatment of drug-resistant depression with esketamine has been available in Poland under a drug program. This is the first such program in Polish psychiatry. So far, there have been no breakthroughs in the treatment of the disease, from which 1.5 million Poles suffer. The new drug is certainly such a breakthrough: it is characterized by high efficacy and a different mode of action than previously known antidepressants.

Health Minister Adam Niedzielski has signed a decree restricting remote prescriptions for narcotic and psychotropic drugs. In turn, prescriptions with reimbursement are excluded from the numerical limits on prescribing.

The Prevention 40 plus program has been extended until the end of June next year. People over 40 can benefit from a repeat examination if 12 months have passed since the previous one.

AUGUST

The President of the Republic of Poland has signed the Law on Quality in Health Care and Patient Safety. The purpose of the law is to implement legal and organizational solutions that will implement health policy priorities in the area of health care quality in a comprehensive and coordinated manner.

Adam Niedzielski stepped down from his post as Minister of Health after he revealed sensitive data - information about drugs prescribed for himself by a doctor from Poznan. For several days, the minister himself and his spokesman maintained that there was no violation. The whole affair is related to the entry into force of a regulation restricting the prescribing of psychotropic and painkiller drugs, as part of the fight against so-called prescribers. Katherine Sójka became the new health minister.

- When a child's illness occurs, it is an illness of the whole family. We know very well that the family and the social environment then get sick, that it also gives rise to concrete systemic costs. That's why it's so important for as many people as possible to rally around supporting families facing a chronic, rare or ultra-rare disease," said editorialist Iwona Schymalla, president of the Zyjmy Zdrowo Foundation, at the opening of the 1st Children and Youth Health Congress. The event was a forum to discuss health care issues related to the youngest.

SEPTEMBER

A law has entered into force, on the basis of which people who are 65 years of age or older, as well as children and adolescents under 18 years of age, will be entitled to selected free medicines. A prescription for free medication will be issued by a doctor or nurse.

The 32nd Economic Forum was held in Karpacz. The event was once again accompanied by the Health Care Forum, which included three days of discussions on the problems and challenges of the health sector.

- The ministry and decision-makers, by increasing the number of students, acted without a concrete plan, target numbers and anticipation of foreseeable problems," assessed Sebastian Goncerz, chairman of the OZZL Residents' Agreement. The numbers on which the health ministry relied in taking action are questionable. It turns out that based on the same data, the ministry calculated 18,000 fewer practicing doctors than came out of the calculations made "on foot" by the residents. The ratio of doctors per thousand residents, on the other hand, comes from... 13 years ago.

- There is no doubt that up to now there has been too little geriatric care in Poland, the dedicated, specialized kind," said President Andrzej Duda during the signing of the law on special geriatric care. As the president stressed, the need for geriatric care is already great, and will continue to grow in the future. Currently, there are 2.7 million people over the age of 75 in Poland, and they account for about 7 percent of the population. By 2040, there will be 14 percent, and by 2050, 16.5 percent.