Event report

DEBATE REPORT On December 6 at At 18:00 in the form of remote, the second debate in the series "Europe for the young" entitled: "Recipe for health" took place. The debate was organized by the Foundation Institute for Strategic Studies in Krakow in cooperation with the Representation of the European Commission in Poland. The debate was attended by: Dr Andrzej Ryś - Director in DG Health and Consumer Protection in the European Commission Dr. Małgorzata Gałązka- Sobotka - Lazarski University Prof. Andrzej Matyja - President of the Supreme Medical Council The debate was chaired by Dr. Marcin Kędzierski - the main expert of the Center for Analysis of the Jagiellonian Club and Piotr Filipiak from the Institute of Strategic Studies, a representative of the young generation. The debate was devoted to the challenges faced by the Polish health care system in the context of a possible process of partial communitarisation of health policy. During the debate, the invited guests will consider what it actually means "European standard" in health care. Going further, what the young generation can expect from European institutions as part of raising the standard of medical care in Poland and, finally, whether digital health care is a solution for the future. Dr. Marcin Kędzierski started the debate by discussing that new variant of the coronavirus and its impact, as well as the entire pandemic, on the Polish health care system in a multifaceted dimension. Dr. Małgorzata Gałązka- Sobotka: Another mutation of the coronavirus indicates that it is not a serious threat in terms of mortality, but it is characterized by a larger scale of transmission. We cannot say that there is no risk, there are many questions about the impact of the pandemic on the socio-health sphere and its potential consequences. Poland is a sick Patient. The Polish system has a huge backlog in financing the medical care structure, there is a low increase in expenditure on health care, and this does not bring it into line with the standards of Western countries. A cause for the state and societies is the deficit of management competences of the authorities in the field of health protection. The Polish health system has a backlog of funding, and the pandemic has highlighted the shortcomings of the health system. Prof. Andrzej Matyja: We know too little to panic, we must be very careful. The new mutation has a greater potential for increased mortality and transmission of infection. This variant mainly affects the group of young people, and different omicron symptoms have also been observed, these are symptoms unusual for the delta. The problems of the Polish health system include the following areas: organization, financing, and human resources. In all these three elements, Poland is badly organized, and the pandemic has exposed the weaknesses of the Polish health system - low financial outlays, overwork, lack of development prospects, insufficient number of doctors, population gap. The Polish health care system cannot be assessed well as it falls behind the European standard due to many factors. Dr Andrzej Ryś: The epidemiological situation now needs some time due to the emergence of a new variant. The European Commission has allocated additional funds since June to research into the dynamics of the virus. Any health policy to be effective must be goal-oriented. During the pandemic, the Polish government undoubtedly did not gather meticulous data and analyzes. Our health system needs more flexibility. In the second part of the debate, the moderator, Piotr Filipiak, presented the questions asked by the young audience. Young people wanted to know, for example: when will the Polish health service be able to rebuild a stable, integrated system that guarantees coordinated care in line with European standards? What is the quality of health care in Poland compared to other European countries? Which areas, especially as a priority, require improvement in the standard? Mental illness is the most common cause of suicide. Before the pandemic, about 1.6 million people in Poland received psychiatric treatment, while even then the condition of psychiatric care in our country was very poor. The pandemic has increased the demand for such services. At the moment, what are the possibilities of obtaining psychological / psychiatric help and what standards should be adopted, especially emphasizing the amount of financial expenses for this form of care? According to recent surveys, around two-thirds of EU citizens would like the EU to have more say when it comes to health. That is why the EU4Health program for 2021-2027 has been established within the EU. Its most important assumptions include Supporting activities for disease prevention, health promotion and counteracting health determinants. Supporting global health commitments and initiatives EU4Health will support, among other things, disease prevention (including cancer screening and early diagnosis) and health promotion programs