From old sanatorium to super spa
Sanatoriums are something of a Polish phenomenon, and their convalescent approach to health is far from the more European notion of spas. But if the industry is to have a future, many within the sector believe they will need to bridge the gap between their traditional approach to well-being, and modern health, beauty and sports treatments.
Financing and legislation is a particular concern. Although many patients have their convalescence paid for through the National Health Fund (NFZ), the system is long overdue for reform.
At present, the spa and sanatorium business suffers badly at the hands of outdated legislation. The present bill was enacted almost 40 years ago, in 1966, and a succession of ministers has proved largely ineffective in updating it. The sector still has no clear legal and economic status within the healthcare system.
At present, the NFZ is responsible for financing sanatoria. Although this is quite advantageous for patients, refunds from the NFZ do not cover the complete cost of a person's stay. In other European countries, institutions such as pension funds or insurance companies contribute to the cost of treatment. Nowhere in Europe does a government fund a patient's sanatorium treatment 100 percent, but nowhere in Europe is it calculated as in Poland. Here, the so-called man-day, i.e. the cost of a person's one-day stay in a sanatorium, including food and accommodation, is refunded by the NFZ, but that does not include the full costs of treatment.
For the government's part, there is no clear concept concerning the privatization of sanatoria. Some sanatoria were giving the appearance of private firms in an earlier project, but these large companies remain 100 percent in the hands of the Treasury. There is also no government project on promoting spas and tourism on an international or local level.
Sanatoria have little future if they remain dependent on the state budget. Institutional patients occupy 50 to 60 percent of the places in sanatoria. No wonder, as the cost of a 21-day stay for a patient who has a doctor's prescription varies from zł.300-400. Thus, the "classic sanatorium stay is undergoing a regression," says the secretary of the Polish Spas' Union, Adam Olkowicz. However: "The spa segment has a future ahead."
If these barriers can be broken through, the sector could prove highly lucrative for entrepreneurs. Analysts advocate transforming the institutions so they can present a modern package of attractive offers, including relaxation, treatment, body aesthetics, and tourism. "It is the package where I see the greatest chance for sales," said development director at Hotele SPA Dr Irena Eris, Krzysztof Kaczmarek.
It seems that hotel owners were the first to take up the idea of including spa elements in their offer, with Hotel SPA Dr Irena Eris one of the market leaders. Its SPA Hotel in Krynica has 19 biological regeneration rooms for 49 hotel rooms. "Our hotel has a holistic approach to the guests," adds Kaczmarek. According to him, classic treatments are the most popular, but modern methods, such as capsule treatment, are fashionable too. "The investment in new equipment pays back within a year," he says. Hopefully, the good old sanatoria will also have their chance to renew their offers and become active members of the industry. A.B.
Financing and legislation is a particular concern. Although many patients have their convalescence paid for through the National Health Fund (NFZ), the system is long overdue for reform.
At present, the spa and sanatorium business suffers badly at the hands of outdated legislation. The present bill was enacted almost 40 years ago, in 1966, and a succession of ministers has proved largely ineffective in updating it. The sector still has no clear legal and economic status within the healthcare system.
At present, the NFZ is responsible for financing sanatoria. Although this is quite advantageous for patients, refunds from the NFZ do not cover the complete cost of a person's stay. In other European countries, institutions such as pension funds or insurance companies contribute to the cost of treatment. Nowhere in Europe does a government fund a patient's sanatorium treatment 100 percent, but nowhere in Europe is it calculated as in Poland. Here, the so-called man-day, i.e. the cost of a person's one-day stay in a sanatorium, including food and accommodation, is refunded by the NFZ, but that does not include the full costs of treatment.
For the government's part, there is no clear concept concerning the privatization of sanatoria. Some sanatoria were giving the appearance of private firms in an earlier project, but these large companies remain 100 percent in the hands of the Treasury. There is also no government project on promoting spas and tourism on an international or local level.
Sanatoria have little future if they remain dependent on the state budget. Institutional patients occupy 50 to 60 percent of the places in sanatoria. No wonder, as the cost of a 21-day stay for a patient who has a doctor's prescription varies from zł.300-400. Thus, the "classic sanatorium stay is undergoing a regression," says the secretary of the Polish Spas' Union, Adam Olkowicz. However: "The spa segment has a future ahead."
If these barriers can be broken through, the sector could prove highly lucrative for entrepreneurs. Analysts advocate transforming the institutions so they can present a modern package of attractive offers, including relaxation, treatment, body aesthetics, and tourism. "It is the package where I see the greatest chance for sales," said development director at Hotele SPA Dr Irena Eris, Krzysztof Kaczmarek.
It seems that hotel owners were the first to take up the idea of including spa elements in their offer, with Hotel SPA Dr Irena Eris one of the market leaders. Its SPA Hotel in Krynica has 19 biological regeneration rooms for 49 hotel rooms. "Our hotel has a holistic approach to the guests," adds Kaczmarek. According to him, classic treatments are the most popular, but modern methods, such as capsule treatment, are fashionable too. "The investment in new equipment pays back within a year," he says. Hopefully, the good old sanatoria will also have their chance to renew their offers and become active members of the industry. A.B.
