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MEDICAL CARE
Foreigners seeking refugee status are entitled to medical care if they have registered with the Department for Social Assistance, regardless of whether they are living in a centre for foreigners or outside of it. As part of healthcare services, the same range of medical services is offered as the basic unpaid medical care for Polish nationals - excluding health resort treatment.
The Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration in Warsaw coordinates medical care for foreigners seeking refugee status in Poland.
The medical care includes:
1. Epidemiological filter.
All the persons applying for social assistance for the first time need to go through the so-called "epidemiological filter" in the reception centre in Biała Podlaska or in Podkowa Leśna - Dębak. The following medical examinations are carried out as part of the filter:
- early detection, diagnosis and referral for treatment of tuberculosis,
- early detection, diagnosis and referral for treatment of contagious, sexually-transmitted and parasitic diseases.
2. Medical points within the centres.
In each of the centres, medical points are available in which basic medical assistance is provided by doctors, paediatricians and nurses.
3. Specialist examinations and consultations.
In cases where this is justified, the ill persons are referred by centre doctors to hospitals or for specialist medical examination after a relevant referral has been issued. Specialist services are provided in the Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration or in other healthcare centres with which the hospital has signed agreements.
4. Dental care.
Foreigners may use dental care services in dental surgeries with which the Office for Foreigners signed agreements for the above services.
5. Psychological assistance.
In the centres for foreigners the system of psychological care is well-developed. In special cases, foreigners are referred to a specialist psychological or psychiatric care clinics.
6. Rehabilitation.
In order to receive funds for rehabilitation, you need to at first visit a specialist doctor who must issue an opinion confirming that rehabilitation is necessary. The specialist doctor should specify the type, amount and cost of treatment. The opinion obtained should be submitted to the centre doctor who will then refer the patient for appropriate rehabilitation. Next, you need to write a letter to the Director of the Department for Social Assistance requesting an approval to cover the cost of rehabilitation services before the treatment starts. The documents mentioned below need to be appended to the letter.
Last change of this page: 13.09.2011.
