Polish doctors' pay debate hides deeper health system crisis

Analyses show that doctors serving in the Polish armed forces receive salaries set by a defence ministry regulation and earn considerably less than their civilian counterparts. The military medical corps faces a staffing shortfall, with only about 59% of authorised physician posts filled and a doctor‑to‑soldier ratio far above NATO’s recommended 1:100 standard. The shortage is expected to worsen as the armed forces plan to expand by 100,000 personnel.

At the same time, Dr. Michał Bulsa, president of the Regional Medical Council in Szczecin, argues that the public focus on doctors’ wages distracts from the fundamental problems of Poland’s health system. He points to chronic hospital debt, mis‑priced medical procedures and inadequate funding as the main drivers of the crisis. Bulsa warns that artificial salary caps could exacerbate staffing gaps, and calls for greater transparency, limits on remuneration and reforms to the employment system, which the Ministry of Health intends to introduce from 2027 onward.