42% of Ukrainians Have Not Yet Used Medical Services in Poland – Survey

42% of Ukrainian refugees in Poland have not sought any medical services throughout all eight months of the war. 28% of respondents believe that healthcare in Ukraine is of higher quality than in Poland. Meanwhile, 21% consider the level of services to be roughly the same, and only 9% think that Polish healthcare surpasses Ukraine's.

The survey was conducted by the analytical centre of the international recruitment agency Gremi Personal among 1,210 Ukrainians who found employment after 24 February 2024.

The company notes that before the full-scale war began, employers provided health insurance to every single person they hired. However, all Ukrainian refugees who arrived in Poland after 24 February were granted access to free state healthcare together with a PESEL number, which in effect gives Ukrainians the same rights and access to services as Polish citizens. Free healthcare in Poland operates on the same principle as in Ukraine – first a registration with a GP, after which a referral to a specialist can be obtained. Very often, however, getting an appointment with a specialist requires waiting several months, which is standard practice for almost all Europeans.

"We assume that this factor has influenced Ukrainians' perception of the superiority of medical services in Ukraine. However, it is well known that European medical infrastructure is better developed, and Poland is no exception" – says Anna Dzhobolda, Head of the Recruitment Department at Gremi Personal, who studies migration processes.

The expert adds that all employed Ukrainians have the opportunity to consult a Ukrainian-speaking GP. Despite this, the survey showed that nearly half of Ukrainians have not yet visited a doctor.