Ukrainian refugees are making valuable contributions to the national health system in Poland while they are staying in the country.
In February 2022, millions of refugees crossed the western land border into Poland in the biggest population movement since the Second World War. Over a year later, Poland continues to host the largest population of Ukrainian refugees, with 1.5 million people granted temporary protection.
Although the Polish Government and citizens have warmly welcomed their neighbours, the situation has led to considerable pressure on the health-care system, particularly regarding staffing, due to the increased demand for services.
While many Ukrainian medical professionals are eager to support, they face significant barriers, such as lack of Polish language skills and the different qualifications required for them to work in the Polish health-care system. In response, WHO is working closely with the Polish Ministry of Health to provide support and guidance to enable qualified Ukrainian health workers to use their skills and education in the national health system.
Dr Olha Kompaniiets is a renal specialist who was working at the Kyiv Kidney Institute prior to the crisis in Ukraine. She lived with her husband, a fellow doctor, and her 17-year-old son. When the war began, her husband was immediately drafted into the army to serve as a field surgeon. With her 23-year-old daughter, already living in Krakow, and her son, she decided to take an evacuation train on 1 March 2022.
The journey was very arduous. When Dr Kompaniiets arrived in Poland, despite being physically safe, she found that the stress of the journey, her worry about the situation in Ukraine and the strain of adapting to her new circumstances had affected her mental health.
She sought professional help from mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) professionals and volunteers in Krakow, who helped her process her experiences and establish a new coping mechanism oriented towards self-development.
The MHPSS programme helped Dr Kompaniiets to feel that she could cope better with her new circumstances, motivating her to pursue Polish language skills and complete the paperwork needed to practise medicine in the country. She applied for the temporary medical licence that Poland offers to health professionals. In the meantime, she began studying Polish and found administration work in a clinic in Limanowa, which allowed her to learn medical terminology.
Understanding the process to apply for a temporary medical licence within the Polish health system and obtaining the necessary documents can be challenging for those who have gained their medical credentials outside the European Union (EU). WHO has been working in cooperation with Polish authorities to launch an information hotline dedicated to doctors, dentists and nurses who have obtained their qualifications in non-EU countries, including Ukraine.
The hotline provides comprehensive information on obtaining a temporary medical licence, and also supports Ukrainian refugees in navigating the health system by providing clear guidance on how to access treatment and medicine in Poland.
WHO also collaborated with the Ministry of Health and the Centre of Postgraduate Education in Warsaw to develop a free, online course providing essential information about the national health system for Ukrainian doctors and dentists. The course is an important tool for enabling and supporting medical professionals from Ukraine to integrate successfully into the Polish system. The mechanism has proved successful, and WHO is now developing other online courses to assist Ukrainian health professionals.
Dr Kompaniiets received admission to the Regional Medical Chamber in Tarnów last November. Since then, she has been working alongside Polish colleagues in the Department of Internal Medicine and Nephrology at St Luke’s Voivodeship Hospital. Her professionalism and experience have impressed the management.
Ms Anna Czech, Director of St Luke's, shares, “For us, the well-being of our patients comes first. We cannot make concessions when it comes to the high standard of treatment that we offer. We are open-minded in our approach to recruitment, but the prerequisite is that the staff must know not only their specialization but also Polish medical procedures and the language. Dr Kompaniiets is performing well.”
Dr Kompaniiets has benefitted from the sense of purpose of her work. “I am very happy that after months of waiting, I can finally work in my medical profession. Life in Poland is very good; people here have been very friendly, and my cooperation with the Polish doctors and nurses is exceptional,” she says.
“Of course, when the war is over, I want to go back home to Kyiv. When I get there, I would like to welcome all the people in Poland who have helped my family and me during those difficult times,” Dr Kompaniiets adds, visibly emotional.
Dr Paloma Cuchi, WHO Representative in Poland, explains the benefits of this project: “Refugees with temporary protection in Poland need to work. Facilitating health workers to practise their profession ensures that they maintain their skills and continue to work in the health sector. Both Ukrainian and Polish health professionals can benefit from exchanging knowledge and experience.”
Dr Cuchi continues, “We have also found that Ukrainian refugees who have limited Polish language skills are much more comfortable working with health professionals who can communicate in their language. Helping refugee medics to continue working also ultimately means that once they are able to return to Ukraine, the Ukrainian health system will benefit from their skills and experience as they rebuild the national infrastructure.”
The role of WHO in responding to the crisis in Ukraine
WHO is working with governments and partners to provide emergency health services, improve local health services, and include refugees in national health systems and plans.