On 26 October, the XXII Health Market Forum concluded its inaugural session with a debate on the proposed health‑care reform package. The discussion focused on the scope of changes to the National Health Fund (NFZ), the extension of the hospital network, and the financing of emergency medical services. Union representatives from the Air Ambulance Service called for the funding of the unit to be adjusted to reflect its actual needs. “The current budget does not match the operational reality,” said a spokesperson for the union. The Ministry of Health, represented by Minister Jolanta Sobierańska‑Grenda, defended the package, arguing that reforms should be implemented gradually and that the extended hospital‑network model would give facilities time to consolidate. Prof. Piotr Czauderna, chair of the Presidential Health Council, strongly criticized the proposed increase in the powers of the NFZ president. He warned that the new authority would allow the NFZ head to punish doctors by banning them from providing services financed by the Fund. “The corps of controllers will have enormous power,” Czauderna said. “We must be realistic about the risks.” He also opposed extending the hospital‑network model beyond 30 June 2029, insisting that it should end by the end of June 2028. Czauderna added that General Gielerak is working on a “universal medical defence system” and that details would be released later in the year. “I’m keeping some details under wraps for now,” he said. The NFZ president, Filip Nowak, defended the reforms, stating that those responsible for the system’s operation need the tools to manage it effectively. He emphasized that the NFZ’s expanded powers were intended to improve oversight and accountability. In a separate note, the mayor of Hrubieszów, a town in the Lublin Voivodeship, responded to a published ranking of cities by highlighting the town’s depopulation trend. “The fact that Hrubieszów is losing residents cannot be ignored,” he said. The debate underscored the lack of consensus among experts on the direction and methods of reform, even as the need for change in the health‑care system was widely acknowledged.
Article source: Rzeczpospolita | Image credit: Rzeczpospolita