Poles live longer but bear fewer children
Since 2010 annual health expenditure per capita in Poland has increased yearly, as in 2021, approximately 4,569 zloty was spent per person on health. The number of practicing physicians per 10,000 inhabitants amounted to 34 in 2021, the highest since 2010. The number of nurses has also steadily increased. Additionally, the number of general hospitals and hospital beds has decreased since 2017, reaching approximately 899 hospitals and 168.4 thousand hospital beds in 2021.The infant mortality rate in Poland has decreased significantly since 2008. In 2021, the figure was 3.7 deaths per 1,000 births. The life expectancy amounted to 81.1 years for women and 73.4 years for men. There has been an increase in this figure since 1950, when it was approximately 62 years for women and 56 years for men. Nearly every third adult was living with a chronic disease such as hypertension and was infected with COVID-19 in 2022. However, circulatory diseases were the most prevalent cause of death, responsible for 474 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021.
Patients are not satisfied with health care
Poles recognize the positive aspects of the healthcare system. One of these has certainly become the development of telemedicine and the availability of medical services via the internet. Many Poles also appreciate the commitment of doctors and the high quality of services. This does not change the fact that only two-thirds of the population are satisfied with health care in Poland.One of the main reasons for dissatisfaction is access to specialized doctors and diagnostic tests. Long waiting periods of several months each have a poor effect on the well-being of Poles. Access to doctors and tests is also a problem. There is a perception that there are too few doctors per patient, and access to some specialists requires travel even to another region of the country. Poles are trying to cope with this problem through private spending. Although the health care system in Poland is public, Poles often go to private clinics for checkups. It is estimated that household spending on private healthcare will amount to 1.2 percent of GDP in 2022, and the private healthcare market will amount to 70 billion zloty.
Indeed, spending on medicines and the state's reimbursement policies are not doing well to keep the population happy. High inflation has exacerbated this problem, increasing spending on medicine purchases even more.