Doctors playing with patient safety: Polish health minister

The warning from Konstanty Radziwiłł came as a number of doctors over recent days backed out of voluntary declarations they had signed that allowed them to work more than 48 hours a week.

That move means some hospitals may be hit by staffing problems in the coming weeks.

Under plans given the green light by the government and then approved by parliament last month, healthcare expenditure in Poland is to gradually increase to 6 percent of GDP by 2025.

Radziwiłł said at the time that the legislation would bring health spending in the country to its highest level ever.

But the plans have not satisfied doctors, who are demanding a pay hike and an increase in healthcare spending in Poland to 6.8% of GDP from 2021.

‘Game with patient safety’ at stake

Radziwiłł said his ministry was preparing for potential staffing problems in hospitals after many doctors decided they would not work more than 48 hours a week.

"If the goal of the organisers of this move is to lead to paralysis, if not of the entire health service then of some health centres, then it is quite obvious that some sort of game has begun with patient safety" at stake, Radziwiłł said.

Polish resident doctors in late October ended an almost month-long hunger strike over health spending and pay, but warned they were ready to resort to other, "harsher" forms of protest in the future.

(pk/gs)

Source: PAP