Minister Kopacz. photo - prVictims of medical malpractice will wait for a shorter time for financial damages, the Ministry of Health has announced, if a new government bill makes it through parliameent.
According to a new amendment to a bill on patients’ rights proposed by the government, a patient who has suffered from medical malpractice will be able to obtain compensation more easily, without going to court.
“A special administrative commission will examine a case in five to seven months and decide on the amount of compensation,” Health Minister Ewa Kopacz said yesterday, who admits that currently victims of medical mistakes have to wait for a court’s decision which can take up to several years.
The new commission will not act like a court and assign guilt to individuals, however, and will not impose punishments for malpractice.
The commission will be able to award up to 100,000 zloty (25,500 euro) damages in case of injury and 300,000 zloty (76,000 euro) in case of death.
Victims of medical mistakes who exercise their rights in court, however, will receive higher compensation if they win their case. Patients will be able to appeal both from the court of first resort’s and from the commission’s decisions, Ewa Kopacz assures.
The amendment will refer only to medical mistakes resulting from hospital treatment. (mg)
Source: IAR
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