Minister hopes hospital grants will be tonic for low-paid doctors and nurses

Health Minister Marek Balicki claims that medical staff should receive an average salary increase of zł.6,000 as a result of the so-called 2003 bill. He believes the money could be obtained from loans granted to state hospitals, which would amount to zł.2.2 billion. The Cabinet could analyze the draft and the Sejm could consider the scheme in a few weeks time. Balicki claims that his idea of solving the problem is currently being analyzed by members of the Finance Ministry. He added that a specific loan would only be granted to hospitals for covering their obligations towards their employees. However if the staff had already been paid then the money could be spent on covering other liabilities such as pension premiums. (Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1, A4)