Healthcare in Warsaw

Coping with jet lag:

Long-distance travel across multiple time zones can take its toll on your mental and physical wellbeing. The desynchronisation of your body’s internal clock, the one that tells you when to sleep, wake and eat, causes jet lag that can turn night into day. The degree and duration of Coping with jet lag depends on which direction you’ve travelled (eastward is usually more difficult to adjust to than westward), the number of times zones crossed and your individual level of tolerance. The most common symptoms include headaches, irregular sleep patterns, exhaustion, loss of appetite, gastrointestinal problems, irritability and changes in mood.

There’s no surefire Coping with jet lag cure, but there are a number of ways to ward off its effects:

• spend some time in the sun, which will help you alter your body clock
• drink plenty of non-caffeinated fluids like water, fruit juice or green tea
• avoid midday naps and alcohol consumption
• take time out and relax in a warm bath
• keep active: go for a brisk walk or exercise a bit in the morning and in the evening
• some doctors recommend taking either sleeping pills or the hormone Melatonin to hasten the adaptation to a new time zone

Drinking water:

Tap water is officially classified as safe to drink in Warsaw, and there are no specific health concerns. Most Poles, however, prefer to buy bottled mineral water (woda minerlana), which is sold in every grocery store, kiosk, bar and restaurant. Another common practice is to consume artesian oligocene water (woda oligocenska) pumped up from a well hundreds of metres underground. Scores of these well centres can be found in each neighbourhood.

Food:

Polish food service establishments are held to high standards of sanitation, so you’ll encounter few health problems when dining out in Warsaw. All restaurants are required by law to comply with EU food safety regulations, which govern the proper storage, preparation, display and serving of food as well as the cleanliness of the premises. Nonetheless, your stomach may still become upset due to the change in diet. There’s no cause for concern, as several over-the-counter and prescription drugs are available to relieve the symptoms. If they do occur, or persist for a longer period of time, be sure to seek medical advice from a doctor.

Health care:

Poland’s health care infrastructure is a mix of public and private health care institutions. The Ministry of Health regulates the national health care policy and oversees the state-financed system, the National Health Fund (NFZ), which provides free medical treatment countrywide to all citizens and legal residents. The standard of public care is adequate, though hospitals (szpital) are often cramped and resources, both human and material, are limited. For convenience and ease of communication, expatriates and affluent locals tend to use private medical facilities when possible. Uninsured foreigners are only entitled to essential health services free of charge in the case of acute conditions or emergencies. People hailing from EU countries are entitled to free first aid and emergency and outpatient treatment in Poland, provided they present a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or an E-111 form.

Private health care facilities are run according to Western standards and have a multilingual and well-educated staff that provide physical checkups, consultations and reliable medical services. Damian Medical Center (www.damian.com.pl), Lim Medical Center (www.cmlim.pl) and Medicover Center (www.medicover.com/plen) are all reliable outpatient clinics with a network of state-of-the-art facilities. Doctors and medical consultants of all specialisations are on duty around the clock to offer efficient and personalised service for virtually everything, including neurological, gynaecological, psychological and rheumatologic illnesses. Many clinics offer home visits and 24-hour emergency services to individuals who have taken out health insurance policies with them or for those who pay outof-pocket.

A number of alternative medical therapies, from acupuncture to Ayurveda, are also available for those who want to explore different ways of managing their pain or condition. Massages and chiropractic care can be found at various medical spas. Trusted centres for acupuncture and traditional Chinese remedies include Centrum Sztuk Zdrowotynych (www.centrumsztukzdrowotnych.pl), Aku Punkt (www.warsawacupuncture. com), Medycyna Wschodnia (www.medycyna-wschodnia.pl) and Trea Natural Health Care and Fitness Centre (www.trea.pl).

In the event of a medical emergency:

Should you or your family members require immediate medical assistance, call 999 from a land line or 112 from a mobile and tell them that you need an ambulance. When you call, the operator may be unable to speak English, so talk slowly and be ready to provide your address. Once on the spot, paramedics will assess whether immediate treatment is necessary, and if so the patient will be transported to the nearest health care facility providing the appropriate medical services. In Warsaw, another option is to call a private ambulance service with an English-speaking dispatcher, such as Falck (9675) or Lux Med (0801 800 808 from a land line, 22 33 22 888 from a mobile). If the injured or sick person is able to walk and merely needs assistance, take them to the hospital on your own by car or taxi.

Pharmacies:

The Polish word for pharmacy is apteka. They’re a dime a dozen in the downtown area, but even in districts farther afield you’ll find one on most streets and in larger shopping arcades. All basic necessities, over-the-counter and prescription medications can be obtained in these well-supplied local pharmacies. Most American and Western European pharmaceuticals are available in Poland, but often under different names, so get the Polish translation or bring along the empty container of the drug you need. Warsaw boasts a number of 24-hour pharmacies, including Apteka Beata (al. Solidarnosci 149, 620 0818, www.aptekabeata.pl), Apteka Grabowskiego (al. Jerozolimskie 54, 825 1373) and Apteka Na Wilczej (ul. Wilcza 31, 622 8971).

Health preparations:

One of the most important, yet often overlooked, issues when relocating to a new country is making sure you and your family have a proper and comprehensive health care plan in place. The following are recommendations on how and what to prepare for a stay in Poland.

Think ahead before the move and get all the necessary medical and dental work performed. Make sure your routine vaccinations and your child’s immunisation records are up to date. Pack copies of all pertinent medical and dental records. If you take routine medication, bring a sufficient supply plus a copy of the prescription and check on availability in Polish pharmacies well in advance of running out.

Free emergency treatment, including rescue services, ambulance transport during accidents, dental procedures and other emergencies such as injuries and childbirth, are available to UK and EEA (European Economic Area) nationals. Patients will not be changed if they present a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Nationals of countries with which Poland has a signed bilateral inter-government agreement, such as Albania, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Russia, are also entitled to the same urgent medical care. Polish laws require citizens of non-EU countries, including the United States, to either carry adequate medical insurance in case of an accident or hospitalisation while in the country or to have proof of sufficient financial resources (at least PLN400 per day) to cover such medical emergencies.

Health insurance is mandatory in Poland. Foreigners residing in the country have the option of becoming insured through the governmentregulated National Health Fund (Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia, NFZ), taking out a private health insurance policy from a Polish or international insurance company or using a combination of the two. If you have a work contract in Poland your employer is obliged to provide health care coverage, but there’s also the possibility of becoming insured with the NFZ individually. You’ll need to obtain a personal identification number (PESEL) at the city hall before officially applying for public health insurance at your local branch of NFZ, at which time you’ll have to submit a passport or residence permit, application form and two copies of your work contract. Once the application is approved, individuals and their dependents – including spouse, parents, grandparents and children under the age of 18 (26 in the case of prolonged education) – are given an official medical insurance card. Employees are charged around 8 percent of gross salary for national health care coverage, which is usually deducted from your paycheck at the end of each month. If you’re self-employed you’re required to make personal payments to the NFZ, at a rate determined by the amount of income, and will have to purchase additional insurance to cover family members. Whether you’re covered by the national health insurance on a compulsory or voluntary basis, you can enjoy the same health care benefits as a local resident, including treatment by general practitioners and specialists, diagnostic examinations, hospitalisation, emergency care, prescription medicine and surgical procedures, childbirth and rehabilitation.

To receive comprehensive private medical care on a par with international standards and avoid the waiting lists in publicly-funded health care facilities, you may also choose to be part of a private health care scheme instead of or on top of the government health plan. Poland’s private health care sector has seen tremendous development in recent times. A slew of new for-profit hospital and outpatient clinics have been launched by private companies, and a number of international health insurance companies such as Allianz, Generali, Inter Risk and Axa PPP are now active in the market. Private medical insurance, however, should not be confused with private medical care, which is available to anyone who is able to afford the premiums. Private medical insurance plans typically consist of three key components: in-patient treatment, out-patient treatment and add-on options. Check the medical coverage in your corporate benefits package to see what services are provided, or shop around for a policy that covers everything you and your family might need. For free quotes, you can go through a medical insurance broker such as Medibroker (www.medibroker.com), DKV Globality (www.dkvglobality.com) or AXA PPP (www.axappphealthcare.co.uk).