The Ministry of Healthcare has published an innovative project for regulating medical offices in kindergartens and schools for public discussion. The document envisages a comprehensive transformation of health services in the educational system.
The establishment of medical offices will be carried out through official orders from local mayors for state and municipal institutions, while for private institutions, the decision will be made by the owners. Removal of such health points will only be possible with a complete cessation of the respective educational institution's activities.
Financing of medical offices in state and municipal educational institutions will be done from the state budget as a delegated activity. For private structures, the expenses will be fully covered by their owners.
Health points must be positioned in the building or on the territory of the kindergarten or school. In shared spaces – for example, when a kindergarten is located in a school building – one medical office can serve both institutions simultaneously.
Medical services must be guaranteed throughout the entire period of children's and students' stay. In emergency situations, health services may be provided by local medical facilities based on an agreement with the mayor or the owner of the private educational institution.
The staff of medical offices will include highly qualified specialists with higher medical education – doctors, nurses, midwives, and paramedics. They will be required to undergo annual training in first aid, prevention, health care, and epidemiological measures.
The project envisages updating the list of medications and medical consumables. Documentation requirements will be optimized by introducing electronic medical cards and reducing the volume of paper carriers while adhering to personal data protection rules.
According to statistical data for the 2023/2024 school year, there are 1,827 independent kindergartens and 2,363 schools in the country. A total of 3,656 medical offices in educational, social, and integrated services are reflected in electronic registers.
The target number of medical offices according to the new requirements is expected to reach approximately 3,760. This parameter was already set in the Healthcare Act and corresponds to the provisions of the 2017 Regulation on Financing of Preschool and School Education.
Each group or class in a kindergarten and school will have its own medical office, which guarantees continuous and quality health care for young people.