The debt of Polish hospitals exceeded PLN 37 billion at the end of March, while the value of overdue liabilities climbed to more than PLN 5 billion. Hospital directors argue that cutting doctors’ salaries will not solve the problem. The crisis is also being worsened by regulations under which every invoice left unpaid on time generates additional costs, Rzeczpospolita reports.
Hospital Debt Reaches Record Levels
According to the daily, the total debt of hospitals in Poland surpassed PLN 37 billion at the end of March, while overdue liabilities – unpaid debts past their due date – increased to more than PLN 5 billion.
“These figures, however, do not reflect the scale of the tragedy and the dire situation facing public hospitals,” the newspaper notes.
According to Rzeczpospolita, outstanding debts continue to grow on their own – not only because of interest charges, but also due to the provisions of the Act on Counteracting Excessive Delays in Commercial Transactions. The law introduced fixed compensation for debt collection costs ranging from €40 to €100 for every unpaid invoice.
Healthcare System Under Pressure
The article quotes a hospital director, who explained the financial burden caused by the regulations:
“For every overdue, unpaid invoice, we are charged an additional fee. For invoices worth up to PLN 5,000, the charge is €40; from PLN 5,000 to PLN 50,000 – €70; and above that – €100. There is no way out of debt like this,” he said.