HEALTHCARE
Employees of the University of Silesia in Katowice on the basis of employment contract are entitled to use the national healthcare. There is no card needed to do go to the general doctor commonly called a “first contact doctor” or “family doctor”.
In Poland in order to use your health insurance you need to choose the National Health Fund (Polish: NFZ) medical centre/ outpatient clinic and fill in the form there (your identity card or passport and proof of insurance will be needed).
This way you have access to the GP.
In the case of visit at the specialists, like dermatologist or gastrologist, you need the referral from your GP. Therefore you need to visit your GP first. Then, when you get a referral you need to find the NFZ specialist and register for a visit.
You can try to use website:
https://gsl.nfz.gov.pl/GSL/GSL/POZ
There are 5 specialisations that do not need GP’s referral:
- Psychiatrist
- Gynaecologist
- Oncologist
- Venerologist
- Dentist
Private medical care
Apart from the national health fund it is also possible to buy a private doctor’s visit. The easiest way is to look for a given speciality in the internet and then, after checking if the selected doctor speaks English, to book a paid visit. One of the most widely used platforms for searching for medical professionals in Poland is the Znany Lekarz portal https://www.znanylekarz.pl/
For more information about healthcare visit: Health insurance and care | EURAXESS
EMERGENCY
In the case of emergency, when you cannot wait with doctor’s visit you can also get medical assistance. You can go to the emergency room of the nearest hospital. If you are not able to go to the emergency room by yourself you can call an ambulance by calling 999, which is available throughout the country, or the general emergency number 112.
At the hospital you will have to show your identification document to confirm your right to free healthcare. It is also good to have the employment contract to show in the case if your data is not in the system.
In other emergencies you need to call the following numbers:
997 Police
998 Fire brigade
For more information about safety, visit the USIL Safety Website
