Will the Doctor See My Child?

“She starts work at 8 AM. I started calling a bit earlier. I’ve never managed to get through quickly. If I’m lucky, I manage it on the 10th or 20th try,” he explains. And adds that when it works, it feels like a success.

If he doesn’t get through quickly, there are no more appointments with the pediatrician. Then he has to go in person in the afternoon and ask, "Will the doctor see my child?"

“But the biggest problems are with registering at the hospital outpatient clinic. My record is 1 hour and 43 minutes on the phone waiting for a connection,” he adds.

Mr. Paweł is just one of millions of patients who, day after day, often unsuccessfully, try to get a doctor’s appointment. Each story is unique, often hiding personal dramas. Now this is set to change.

First, an Electronic Central Registration System Must Be Created

The Ministry of Health wants to make it possible to register for a doctor's appointment online. This will be done through the Internet Patient Account (IKP), a system that was already used for COVID-19 vaccinations.

However, for this to happen, a central system must first be created—namely, the Electronic Central Registration System. Currently, each clinic and hospital has its own registration system. These changes are included in the draft amendment to the Act on Health Care Services Financed from Public Funds and the Act on the Health Information System.

It’s worth noting that this is not the Ministry of Health’s first attempt at such a revolution. Last summer, there was a pilot program for e-registration, but only for selected services. It was for appointments with cardiologists and specialized tests like MRI and CT scans.

Data Won’t Enter Itself into the System

The bezprawnik.pl service assesses that the Electronic Central Registration System will be revolutionary for both patients and healthcare system employees.

“For healthcare facilities themselves, central registration could theoretically streamline their work. The teleinformatics system of the Electronic Central Registration would perform part of the work that today must be done by employees of individual clinics and hospitals. On the other hand, someone needs to enter data about work schedules at individual facilities into the system,” it reads.

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It’s Going to Get More Expensive

According to the Polish Central Statistical Office (GUS), inflation in Poland was 16.6% in December 2022. Rising prices will also affect the telecommunications services sector. The biggest companies in this industry are preparing for price hikes.

According to "Rzeczpospolita," the higher operating costs of telecommunications operators will lead to increased fees for service recipients. Operators who used EU funds to build networks will need to ask the Office of Electronic Communications for permission to raise prices. For example, Fiberhost (managing open fiber-optic networks) will be able to increase fees by about 10%.

Entrepreneurs’ Creativity

Some operators found a way to avoid procedural complications related to price increases some time ago. Orange, Play, and T-Mobile decided to use so-called inflation clauses, allowing them to modify prices during the contract term. The extent of the increases would depend on the average annual consumer price index announced by GUS.

For Orange, increases will occur if prices rise by at least 3.5% compared to the previous year. T-Mobile plans similar actions if the average annual inflation rate reaches 3%. Play has anticipated various scenarios justifying price changes, including a 3% inflation rate and changes in the euro exchange rate.

The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) is reviewing the legality of these inflation clauses. UOKiK Chairman Tomasz Chróstny believes such provisions do not equally protect the interests of both parties in the agreement.

The Worst Is Yet to Come

The average annual consumer price index in 2022 compared to 2021 was 114.4 (a 14.4% price increase). The National Bank of Poland (NBP) predicts that inflation will peak in January and February 2023, potentially exceeding the critical 20% mark.

A bit of optimism amidst these grim figures is that the zero VAT rate on food will be maintained at least until June 30 this year.

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Only those households that have previously registered their primary heating source with the Central Emissions Register are eligible to apply for the electricity allowance. Officials will verify this information.

Who Will Not Receive the Money?

Families whose home installations are powered by photovoltaic panels, even if they use a heat pump for heating, are not eligible.

Households that have already applied for subsidies for coal, LPG, or other fuels are also ineligible.

Where to Submit the Application?

The application form can be found on the Government Legislation Center's website and is also available at city or municipal offices.

The application form requires the following information:

• The applicant's name
• PESEL number
• Citizenship
• Document ID number and series (if no PESEL number is available)
• Place of residence (complete address with postal code)
• Bank account number for the deposit
• Type of heating source (heat pump, electric heating, electric boiler)
• Email address (for notification of allowance approval)
• The application must also include the number of household members and the details of all members if the household is multi-person.

How Much is the Electricity Allowance?

There are two levels of electricity subsidy:

1,000 PLN for households with electricity consumption up to 5 MWh in 2021

1,500 PLN for households with electricity consumption exceeding 5 MWh in 2021

You must attach electricity bills for the entire year of 2021 to verify consumption over 5 MWh.

When is the Application Deadline?

The deadline is in two weeks, on February 1, 2023.

Applications can be submitted:

In person

Online (via the ePUAP platform and trusted profile)

By registered mail to the appropriate municipal office

The money will be transferred to the applicant's account within a maximum of 30 calendar days. It can also be collected at the office's cash desk.



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370,000 students, who will start fourth grade this September, will receive laptops. Why was this specific level of education chosen?

The Prime Minister's Office explains that this is when computer science classes begin, and children at this age are best suited to start developing digital skills across various subjects.

The purchase of computers for fourth graders will cost 760 million PLN plus VAT.

Throwing Money Away

Last year, computers were distributed to about 218,000 students from post-state farm areas. Even then, as noted by bezprawnik.pl, there were doubts about whether such support was necessary for every family. In many cases, it turned out that the computers went to wealthy homes where families had long since bought them for their children.

The same will be true for the 370,000 laptops for fourth graders. Money spent on a laptop for a child from a wealthy family is like throwing it away.

The same goes for the 500 plus program, which is received by all children and youth up to 18 years old. However, the government avoids discussions on this topic and changes in the law.

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It All Started with Math

“Pi-stacja primarily offers free video lessons, but it’s not just that,” says Małgorzata Kazubska from the Katalyst Education Foundation in an interview with the portal.

It began with math, the subject that most often troubles Polish students. Later, physics (grades 7-8), chemistry (grades 7-8), and biology (grades 4-6 and 7-8) were added. To date, over 800 video lessons have been published.

“We aim for our project to become a solution that supports learning and teaching,” emphasizes Małgorzata Kazubska. “We add interactive exercises and review materials for exams with students in mind.”

Not Just Knowledge

Can the Pi-stacja project replace traditional tutoring? According to Kazubska, it depends on the student, their learning pace, and skills. However, she notes that, besides providing specific knowledge in various subjects, it also teaches young people self-organization.

“We constantly monitor how much time users spend watching our video lessons and compare it with the average hourly cost of tutoring. We estimate that since the first Pi-stacja video was published in 2015, Polish families have saved nearly 100 million PLN on paid tutoring costs,” Małgorzata Kazubska highlights in her interview with strefaedukacji.pl.

42 Million Views

The Pi-stacja project is carried out daily by professionals – teachers and methodologists. It gained significant popularity during the pandemic when schools suddenly had to switch to online teaching.

“Teachers were familiar with our video lessons and had tested them in teaching long before the pandemic. When schools were closed in March 2020, they turned to Pi-stacja because it was a ready-to-use resource,” recounts Małgorzata Kazubska.

She adds, “The number of views grew at an unimaginable pace. To date, our video lessons have been viewed 42 million times.”

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In this situation, the only way to avoid financial disaster is to save on electricity, among other things, to balance our household budget. This can be helped by changing daily habits when using home electronics and appliances.

Remember…

...that reducing energy consumption shouldn't negatively impact safety, health, and daily comfort. Avoiding turning on lights and staying in dark rooms can cause vision problems or worsen your well-being. It's also easier to have accidents in dark rooms.

Here are a few simple ways to reduce energy consumption in our homes…

Energy Vampires

So-called energy vampires include:

• Induction cooktop
• Electric water heater
• Audio systems
• Router
• Laptop charger
• Robot vacuum
• Printer
• Coffee maker
• TV decoder
• Gaming console
• Microwave

Although they are used sporadically, they are usually always plugged in for convenience. This gives them their "vampire" properties. If you don't use these devices, unplug them – especially when you plan to be away for a while. Let this be the beginning of our battle with high bills.

Household Appliances

Use the full capacity of the dishwasher. Avoid delayed start and standby mode. Do the same with the washing machine (washing at lower temperatures – 30-40 degrees – can save you up to 40% energy).

Descale the kettle and regulate its temperature, which can result in 20% and 9% savings, respectively.

Heat food in the microwave (avoid standby mode) instead of the oven or induction cooktop. This can reduce energy consumption by up to 80%.

Separate the refrigerator from heat sources like radiators. Don’t put hot food in it. Try to open it less often and increase the temperature by one degree above the manufacturer’s recommendations. This simple step can save you up to 6% energy.

Dry laundry only with a full load in the dryer. Before using a hairdryer, try towel-drying your hair a bit. This will shorten the time you use the device.

Avoid using appliances during peak energy hours, between 5 PM and 8-9 PM, to prevent contributing to a blackout.

Find out when your electricity provider offers lower rates.

Lighting

Replace traditional bulbs with LEDs. This can reduce energy consumption by several dozen percent.

Don’t leave lights on in empty rooms.

Don’t block radiators with furniture, and lower the heating when you leave home.

Distribute temperature optimally, heating the bathroom the most and the kitchen the least. To effectively control it, invest in "smart thermostats."

Laptops and Smartphones

A laptop is an essential tool for remote work but also one of the biggest energy consumers.

To save energy, put it in sleep mode whenever possible. Once the battery is charged, disconnect the charger immediately.

Close unused tabs and programs, and use the night light feature when working in the evening.

By reducing screen time by just an hour a day, you can save up to 13% energy.

Choose a monitor with a smaller screen size and reduce its brightness. Lowering this function to 70% can result in up to 20% energy savings.

For your phone, turn off the energy-consuming location service. Reduce the volume and screen brightness. Keep the phone’s charge level between 40-80%.

Remember that malfunctioning or old devices can generate higher electricity bills.

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