The Silesian Heart Disease Centre (SCCP) on 7 March 2011 conducted a lung transplant on a cystic fibrosis patient, the first such procedure ever to be performed in Poland. The operation, performed by Dr. Jacek Wojarski in the 30-year-old CF man, was successful and the patient was expected to be released from hospital in good condition on 14 April. The success of the Polish doctors is hailed as a major turning point by the Polish Society Against Cystic Fibrosis (PTWM), but in order to achieve a meaningful improvement in access to lung transplants for CF patients in Poland, the Silesian Heart Disease Centre needs to invest in new facilities. Thanks to an EU grant and additional support from the Health Ministry, by 2014 it plans to build a National Centre of Lung and Heart Transplants for patients from across the country, with particular emphasis on CF patients. There are hopes that the program will be expanded further.
The Polish Society Against Cystic Fibrosis (PTWM) for many years have been campaigning for better access to lung transplants for Polish CF patients and for bringing the standard of care in this area closer into line with Western European practice. Between 2006 and 2010 thanks to the private sponsorship the Society oversaw around 12 successful lung transplants on Polish CF patients at a clinic in Vienna, and it was instrumental in persuading the National Health Fund (NFZ) to start reimbursing the costs of such procedures. Starting from 2010 eight Polish CF patients received the reimbursement of lung transplantations performed abroad.
In January 2011 the PTWM conducted a social campaign dedicated to the need of widening access to lung transplantations in CF patients, including organization of a lung transplantations conference held on 15.01.2011 in Poznan, the press releases published in medical press and a brochure containing personal experience of the CF patients who underwent lung transplantations.
In February 2011 during a meeting with the Health Ministry held PTWM’s president Dorota Hedwig said the Society would continue to support the Silesian Heart Disease Centre in its efforts to enhance access to lung transplants in Poland, but that until it happens, it will insist on NFZ reimbursing the cost of transplants performed abroad.
