The move was announced by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on the eve of World Cancer Day, news outlets reported.
Speaking to reporters at the National Institute of Oncology in the southern city of Gliwice, Morawiecki said the government had prepared "a package of policies that will bring about a revolution in the treatment of cancer.”
He said: “Cancer is a real plague that affects our civilisation and we need a whole system of policies to combat cancer.”
“A systemic approach is key,” Morawiecki added.
'It’s a revolution in the treatment of cancer'
The prime minister announced: “The government is earmarking enormous resources for combating cancer, PLN 2.5 billion (EUR 530 million) now [for cancer hospitals] and at least PLN 10 billion (EUR 2.1 billion) until 2030 through various programmes. It’s a revolution in the treatment of cancer.”
Under the National Cancer Strategy alone, Poland is set to spend PLN 5.1 billion (EUR 1.1 billion) on cancer treatment by 2030, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
In October, Health Minister Adam Niedzielski announced that Poland was setting up a National Cancer Network to treat patients on the basis of a standard approach that has already been verified in practice.
Morawiecki said on Friday that, thanks to government funding, the Polish health service was "adopting state-of-the-art procedures," hospital wards were being upgraded and money would be spent on "new, expert-approved medicines."
“The patient's perspective, the good of the patient, of every person, is our main priority,” he declared.
Poland hikes healthcare spending: PM
Morawiecki also said that, since coming to power in 2015, Poland’s ruling conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party have raised healthcare spending “from 4.5 percent to 6 percent of GDP,” adding that “there will be a further increase, to 7 percent of GDP, in the coming years.”
Meanwhile, his health minister told reporters that the PLN 2.5 billion would be allocated to cancer hospitals for “big infrastructure projects” that would "expand access to specialist treatment."
He added Poland had some 40 cancer hospitals, which would compete for government funding.
Proposals from hospitals will be accepted from March 6 to May 5, reporters were told.
Niedzielski said: “If we receive good project proposals, we’ll increase the funding.”
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, interia.pl, rynekzdrowia.pl