Medical Tourism - Destination - Poland

General Culture

In the 13th and 14th century, Poland was the largest state in union with Lithuania in Eastern Europe. Then over 100 years Poland territory was split between Austria Germany and Russia. After the First World War, an independent Poland was created. The Nazis invaded Poland in 1939 shattered the young republic. After the Second World War, it was called the republic of Poland again.

Safety

Poland is not a dangerous country, they ranked 25 in GPI and it is just as save as the other European countries.

Tourists Attractions and Sights

Tatra Mountains - Countless tourist routes through picturesque mountain valleys lead tourists to the lakes and ponds (the most famous of which is Morskie Oko)

The Baltic Sea – The Amber Coast The Polish part of the Baltic coast is 788 km long. Apart from amazing, golden beaches, picturesque landscapes of the sea and the cliffs, the entire shoreline is dotted with historical cities and lovely fishing villages

- Masuria
– ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACES IN EUROPE

• Masuria was voted one of the 28 most beautiful places in the world and ranked 5th in this category in Europe. Apart from its lakes, Masuria is famous for extensive forests and
• Bieszczady mountains: soft green mountains with traditional wooden churches one of the remotest areas in Europe

- Kraków
- TREASURES OF THE WORLD HERITAGE

Crowds of tourists are attracted by a unique feel of the city, many concerts and festivals, not to mention a magical atmosphere of the Kraków cafeterias and jazz clubs. In the very heart of Kraków, there are over 600 historical objects, 10 of which are of the highest international class and entered into the UNESCO World Heritage List. Among them is the St. Mary’s Church with a beautiful Gothic altar sculpted by Wit Stwosz in the 15th century and the Main Market Square – the biggest medieval market in Europe. The Wawel Hill with its Royal Castle used to be the seat of the great Polish rulers and the heart of our country. Today Kraków is one of the most important European centres of culture, arts, science and tourism.

- Wieliczka
- A UNIQUE MICROCLIMATE OF A SALT MINE, MUSEUM AND SANATORIUM

• tour of the mine reveals, how the salt was extracted in the old times and you can see amazing salt sculptures, located along the entire tourist route. You can marvel at the beautiful chambers, left after the salt was mined, the underground chapels made of salt, including the most famous – the Chapel of Saint Kinga.
• At the depth of 135 metres in the “Jezioro Wessel” chamber, Medical Rehabilitation Centre is located.
• Czestochowa: is located in the heart of Krakowsko-Czestochowska Upland, an area characterized by Jurassic rocks
• Gdansk (Danzig): architecture of the Old City, largest brick Gothic church in the world, gentle climate and beaches

Visa Requirements

Poland is a part of the Schengen states, which entitles the holder to stay in the territory of all Schengen states. There are Visas required for citizens of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.

Transportation

The transport system in Poland is well developed, including a road network of approximately 412.260 km. A rail network links all of Poland’s major cities. In the North there is a high amount of important waterways which are connected to the Baltic Sea. Moreover, the Warsaw Chopin Airport and the Krakow John Paul II are International Airports. Other big airports in Poland:…Wroclaw, Gdansk and Katowice.………………..

Accommodation

The range of Poland’s accommodation is extremely varied. There are over half a million rooms waiting for tourists – some are typical and as always there are simple up to luxurious hotels available. Hotels belonging to the global chains are present in almost every city.

Health Care Providers

Health care in Poland is delivered through a publicly funded health care system, which is free for all citizens of Poland. The government provides free healthcare for children, pregnant women, disabled people and elderly. Furthermore, there are many private hospitals offering health care in Poland as well as a wide range of specialized physicians, especially in bigger cities.

Insurance

In Poland subsidized health services are provided to Polish residents by the general health insurance. In order to offer health services the insurance company has to be registered with the NFZ (Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia). EU/EEA citizens are also entitled to use the Polish health care by using the European Health Insurance Card.

General Medical Tourism Information

A growing number of foreigners are taking advantage of the affordable, high quality healthcare in Poland. Recently the Polish Government started to focus on medical tourism due to some funding programs of the European Union. The membership in the EU enables Poland to show the excellent healthcare provided at affordable costs. There is a long tradition of medical studies in Poland especially in Krakow. Kazimierz Wielki (Casimir the Great) of Poland founded the prestigious Jagiellonian University in 1364 which includes three faculties of the Medical College within its structure.

Poland can make use of its beautiful landscape to compete with destinations all over the world.

Reasons

• Poland has high quality physicians educated in Europe
• Affordable prices by still providing a high quality treatment

Specialisation

• Plastic surgery and cosmetic treatment
• General dentistry and dental surgery
• Orthopedic surgery
• Dermatologe
• Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat
• Ophthalmology and Eye surgery
• Gastroenterology
• Gynecology
• Heart surgery
• Hair transplant
• Obesity treatments
• Cancer treatments
• Endocrinology

SWOT

Conclusion

Poland has emerged as one of the premier destinations for health travelers in Central Europe and neighboring regions. In 2006, medical tourism patients accounted for more than 450,000 visitors to the country. These figures are expected to rise by 15%-20% each year as Poland gains popularity as a cost-effective and high quality medical tourism destination.

Note: All prices are estimates, and may vary widely from source to source depending on services included in the estimate (i.e. doctor’s fees, hospitalisation, administration costs or the patient’s age and medical history). Due to non-disclosure strategies of the various locations, it was not possible to make a clear separation between those factors. All prices given for the specific facilities have been provided by the hospitals/clinics themselves via email or telephone contact. The prices are given in Euros (€).

N/A means either that treatment are not available in the specific hospital, that a price estimation cannot be found or that the medical facility did not disclose the information. For the average prices, printed literature has been used before researching sources on the internet.