Yesterday, WPROST published an interview entitled “Is the Military Medical Academy a Billion-Zloty Expense? ‘A Costly Behemoth’” with Dr Krzysztof Koźmiński, Associate Professor at the University of Warsaw — legal counsel, Managing Partner of Jabłoński Koźmiński & Partners, and expert of the Polish Accreditation Committee.

The military needs doctors trained to operate under wartime conditions. According to the Regulatory Impact Assessment, of 1,506 medical officer posts in the military health service, only 888 are filled. This amounts to one doctor per 260 soldiers, whereas the NATO standard calls for one per 100. As our expert points out, existing medical universities already have the academic staff, experience, infrastructure, and track record. They train doctors, dentists, and other medical professionals.

There is nothing to prevent the creation of a supplementary layer: a system of courses, specialisations, and coordination with the armed forces. This would allow for better use of the resources already at our disposal. The shortage of military doctors is real — but does the answer necessarily lie in reviving a large, costly institution subordinated to the logic of the defence and security ministries?

The full interview is available at this link.