Health care crisis getting worse before it gets better

Still a total of 1,864 doctors from 64 hospitals have not withdrawn their leave notices. But negotiations concerning an increase in doctors wages turned out to be successful in 17 clinics yesterday. Health Minister Zbigniew Religa ensured that hospitals will receive several hundred million złoty. "The funds will be earmarked for compensations. This should, for the time being, calm down the issue related to wages," announced Religa. (Dziennik, p. 8; Rzeczpospolita, p. A6; Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 6) A.K.