Emergency room is not a clinic. National Health Fund appeals: "Let people fight for their lives in emergency room"
The provincial branch of the National Health Fund in Opole is launching an information campaign aimed at making patients aware that Hospital Emergency Departments (SOR) are places intended for people whose life or health is at risk – and not for treating a common fever or a prolonged cough. According to statistics from 2024, more than three-quarters of patients coming to Opole emergency departments did not need urgent medical help.
In 2024, 136,585 health services were provided in emergency departments in the Opole province. Of these:
80% of patients came on their own , without calling an ambulance,
77.5% were classified as the least urgent cases – the so-called green and blue (i.e. with a waiting time of 2 to 4 hours).
– This shows the enormous burden on the system and the staff, who should focus on cases requiring saving lives – says Barbara Pawlos, spokeswoman for the Opole branch of the National Health Fund.
Hospital Emergency Departments were created to help people in a state of sudden health threat , e.g. after accidents, heart attacks, strokes, severe injuries or acute poisoning. They are not intended for:
treatment of viral infections,
issuing prescriptions for medications taken regularly,
consultation without significant deterioration of health.
Despite this, many patients treat the emergency department as an alternative to a clinic or family doctor.
The National Health Fund reminds that you do not have to use the Emergency Department to get quick medical help . In the Opole province, there is:
14 Night and Holiday Health Care Points (NiŚOZ) – open from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. and around the clock on weekends and holidays,
13 emergency rooms , which also admit patients, although on different terms than the Emergency Department,
family doctors (GPs) – who should be consulted first in case of standard ailments.
All these facilities operate without a referral and free of charge (for insured persons) .
- The ER is not a clinic or a place to skip queues. Every patient with a headache or cough that is not urgent can delay help for someone who has had a heart attack - says the NFZ spokeswoman. - That is why we are launching the campaign "Let the ER fight for life" to remind patients that this place should be reserved for the most severe cases.
symptoms of a heart attack (chest pain, shortness of breath),
symptoms of stroke (paresis, slurred speech, loss of consciousness),
serious injuries (fractures, wounds, hemorrhages),
road accidents,
chemical poisoning,
convulsions, loss of consciousness, severe abdominal pain, shortness of breath.
seasonal infections, colds, flu,
need for a prescription for chronically taken medications,
headaches without other neurological symptoms,
check-ups and consultations,
minor cuts or abrasions.
Although each case may seem important from the patient's perspective, it must not be forgotten that doctors in the ER have to make life-and-death decisions every day. That is why it is important to use this form of help responsibly - when there is really no time to waste.
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