Life /
Free Poland Health Care - Paying minimal to no Zus [105]
That's not true - the NFZ system is more inconsistent than anything. I've got absolutely no issues with my local GP, nor any issue with my NFZ dentist. The all-night drop-in doctor service is also very good here, and the local hospital isn't bad too. There are horror stories too, but on the whole - it does what it can on a very limited budget.
Yes, it is true. As a system it is rotten. I saw my grandfather pass away after two years of bad doctors, bad hospitals, bad health care, poor decisions and I dont know how much misinformation, insolent behavior, bribes I had to put up with. As they say in poland... zeby chorować trzeba być zdrowym. Now I help out my grandmother, and its same crap. Bad doctors, long lines, poor or malfunctioning equipment, excuses, lies and the worst, most doctors and nurses dont even look at you like a human being. She's been waiting for 3 years for an eye operation, and now shes got stomach problems, the only gastrologist thats got a USG is one rude little porker and the wait is three weeks. When I broke my ankle the local hospital set the cast wrong and if some private doctor hadnt caught it I could have been disabled for life, and oh yea, I only got two weeks of physical therapy when I should have had at least 1.5 months, plus most of the therapy was a joke anyway. To this day my ankle hurts, Im going to have crippling arthiritis when Im older. And Ive got a million stories about friends and neighbors, two are currently suing their doctors for total incompetence and medical malpractice (of course the lawsuits have been going on for over 4 years), one swore to kill one doctor if he ever sees him as he almost killed his child.
This is partially because they're absolutely dirt cheap in Poland. I saw a renowned specialist for 90zl - try getting the same thing in the West for even 500zl.
For the 5-10 minutes they spend on you and then quickly forget you, oh yea, plus the fact that most Poles make 2000zl, that's quite a lot and in my opinion they are grossly overpaid. Prices in the West are inconsequential, who cares.
What, where? Not in the UK it's not...
Well then the UK sucks, but thats no surprise. In the US I had annual checkups with reminders with what I needed or should do. My father just had a full body CAT scan done since he hit 60 plus a whole battery of tests. Just because... i.e., preventive medicine.