Andrzej Duda unveiled the bill during a news conference at the state-run National Institute of Geriatrics, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation (NIGRR) in Warsaw on Tuesday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
He subsequently submitted the draft legislation to parliament for consideration, according to officials.
Poland to have over 5 million seniors by 2040: president
During the news conference, Duda said that "the issue of elder care constitutes one of the fundamental healthcare challenges for the coming decades.”
The president stated: “In Poland, the number of people of senior age, of advanced age, that is people past the age of 75, is considerable and keeps growing. In 2021, this age group totalled 2.7 million people, or 7.1 percent of our society. According to experts, by 2040 they will represent almost 15 percent of our society. It will be a huge number, certainly more than 5 million people.”
Duda added: “There is no doubt that these persons need a tailored system of health protection.”
Over 300 elder care centres by 2028
“Elder care must be as close to home as possible," Duda declared. "And so we’ll create new, dedicated facilities for the 75-plus age group.”
He announced: “There will be more than 300 such centres, one in every Polish county, and they will focus on primary health care for seniors.”
Duda added: “Every health centre for the 75-plus will comprise three main elements: a consultation clinic, a day-care centre, and a team of in-home care specialists.”
Duda told reporters that the proposed new system of elder care had been designed by experts and officials over a period of six years.
The president told reporters: “It is our hope that the new system of elder care will be ready within five years.”
He said the system would cost PLN 250 million (EUR 56 million) to launch in the first year, and around PLN 2.5 billion (EUR 560 million) to maintain once it is fully up and running, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, rynekzdrowia.pl, prezydent.pl
