Polish doctors work several full-time jobs simultaneously – the record being 25 permanent posts at the same time.
Public hospitals and medical centres in Poland sign contracts with the National Health Fund to get money for health care services. One of the conditions to receive it is to submit a schedule of the doctors working in a given institution. Very often, the list shows that some of the doctors work in several hospitals at the same time.
Recently, the National Health Fund decided to prepare a detailed control in some of the subordinated health institutions with surprising results.
“Among the doctors who work the most, the biggest group is formed by the youngest doctors, with a residency that is shorter than seven years. Some of them, according to the documents, work several hundred hours weekly, and, theoretically, render services in a few places,” the report says.
More than a half of the places controlled by the National Health Fund had at least few doctors employed at more than one full-time job.
Usually, directors of hospitals and medical centres know about this type of situation, but they need specialists and turn a blind eye to the all-too-common practice. An undesireable side-effect is, however, large expenses for the state budget and long queues for patients. (jg/mmj)
Source: Dziennik