Over the past few months, medical services in Poland have increased the most in Europe, according to a report by the Polish Economic Institute (PIE).

In August 2020, the prices of services increased by 6.6 percent, and of goods by 1.5 percent on an annual basis. The highest dynamics of price growth was recorded in the case of the following services: garbage collection (by 50.5 percent), financial and bank services (42.9 percent), hairdressing, cosmetics and care (13.5 percent) and social care (12.4 percent).

The high increase in prices of some health-related goods and services is noteworthy, "According to the Central Statistical Office, in August 2020, compared to the same month of 2019, the prices of dental services (14.5 percent) and medical services (9.3 percent) increased the most,” PIE report reads

In turn, according to Eurostat data, the increase in the prices of dental and medical services in Poland was one of the highest in Europe.

"The high dynamics of the prices of medical and dental services resulted from the increase in costs related to the need to ensure sanitary safety of employees and patients, as well as the willingness, at least partially, to compensate for losses related to the temporary inability to provide these services during the economic freezing," the PIE added.

PIE economists indicate that in the coming months the growth rate of the prices of medical services should slow down, if the number of cases of Covid-19 does not increase significantly.

(300gospodarka)