I fell ill with cancer. I underwent radiotherapy, during the chemotherapy I was already after two surgeries. I suffered terrible pain. The doctors hospitalized me but nobody examined my pain, nobody examined its source. After a year and three months it turned out that my intestine had burst and then I was diagnosed with the cause of this pain," says newsrm.tv Dorota Kaniewska, the patient and adds. - It is proven that chronic pain when untreated can lead to severe depression and consequently to suicidal thoughts and suicide.
In Poland, chronic pain of different aetiologies affects 27% of the adult population, while the European average is 19%. Respect for dignity to live without pain and equal access to pain relief therapy is considered a fundamental human right. Unfortunately, according to Dorota Kaniewska, who has been fighting with pain for years, we still have a lot to do in this area in Poland. - It is a bit better, but there are still problems with getting to the first and subsequent visits to the pain treatment clinic. The average waiting time is approx. 3 months. What patient with chronic pain that lasts 3 months can wait another 3 months to get help? The clinics are open 3 days a week and every other day. There are also problems with access to medicines - says Dorota Kaniewska.
The Ministry of Health has announced changes in the Act on Patients' Rights and the Patient Ombudsman, which will guarantee all patients the right to treat pain. Such a legal basis to guarantee patients suffering from pain access to its treatment has been advocated for years: Coalition for Combating Pain, Let's Win Health Foundation, Experts for Health Foundation in cooperation with the Polish Association for Pain Research.
During the celebrations of the European Week for Combating Pain, Deputy Minister of Health Marek Tombarkiewicz informed that the ministry is working on an amendment to the Act on Patients' Rights and the Patient Ombudsman. According to the amendments proposed by the Ministry of Health, Article 20 of the Act shall be added:
-the following point 1: "Patient has the right to be treated for pain".
-point 2, which reads as follows: "The healthcare provider is obliged to take action to determine the severity of pain, to treat pain and to monitor the effectiveness of such treatment".
The Coalition for Combating Pain, the Win Health Foundation, the Experts for Health Foundation and specialists from the Polish Association for Pain Research evaluate these changes as a key step towards improving the treatment of pain in Poland.
The current provision of the Act on Patients' Rights and the Patient Ombudsman guarantees the right to alleviate pain only for terminally ill patients (Article 20(2), second sentence: 'A terminally ill patient has the right to health services to alleviate pain and other suffering').
Meanwhile, doctors and patients agree that the treatment of pain should be an integral part of the treatment of people with different conditions accompanied by pain and suffering. This does not only apply to cancer patients. Epidemiological data show that the most common chronic pain syndromes include osteoarthritis (34%), back pain (18%), headaches (15%), injuries (12%) and neuropathic pain (5%-8%). Patients with chronic non-cancer pain should have access to pain treatment according to the rules currently accepted for oncological patients. And pain treatment should be provided in all medical centres throughout the country.