PRESS REVIEW - Poles ignore flu jabs
PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle
03.10.2012 09:00
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Press review for Wednesday, Sept 03, by Alicja Baczynska.
The flu season is here already. Yet judging by what daily GAZETA WYBORCZA writes, it seems there will not be any vaccine supply shortage anytime soon as Poles appear to be little concerned with viruses or any health complications that may follow.
Only four percent of the population takes flu shots in Poland, that’s far less than in other European countries, the paper points out.
The flu season spans from fall to spring – the best way to stay protected is by boosting immunity against the most common strands annually, as the viruses mutate with time. This year, the vaccine differs greatly from the previous seasons being a combination of protection from three virus strains.
A billion-zloty gap (250 million euro) is to be expected in this year’s the National Health Fund (NFZ) budget, business-oriented daily PULS BIZNESU writes.
As the newspaper explains, the institution miscalculated revenue forecasts from health insurance premiums by 700 million (around 170 million euro) than the actual amount that made it to the coffers in July. According to the deputy head of NFZ the deficit could grow to over one billion zloty.
However, spokesperson Andrzej Troszczyński claims that such the cash shortage can be sufficiently covered from reserve funds, although some belt-tightening is unavoidable for the healthcare system.
German companies are opening up classes at Polish vocational schools so as to streamline a steady inflow of qualified labour to work in their country, writes DZIENNIK GAZETA PRAWNA.
Special courses are already on offer by vehicle manufacturers MAN, and Volkswagen alongside home appliance producer Bosch, among others. New classes are to be opened shortly by two enterprises operating in the food industry.
The idea appears to be catching on with many young Poles, as the number of students has grown in those classes from 23 in 2008 to 530 this year. The figure is expected to grow twofold next year.
What appears to be most appealing is the fact that the graduates of these classes face no problems in finding work – a luring prospect considering the creeping unemployment rate across the European Union.
As the paper adds vocational school graduates earn an average 2,000 zloty (around 500 euro) in Poland, while an intern at the Opel car factory in Germany takes in 2,500 euro in monthly pay.
Polish companies may face problems with employee inefficiency in the near future, unless they deal with the growing frustration among staff.
Press review by Alicja Baczynska
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