The Chairman of the Committee of the Council of Ministers for National Security and Defense Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński and Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration Mariusz Kamiński presented the assumptions of the draft act on civil protection and the state of natural disaster. The government is planning to create a special fund amounting to 0.1% of GDP (approx. PLN 3 billion) annually, to call a corps of local paramedics and purchase 2,800 ambulances.

“The main purpose of the act is to provide quick help to victims in critical situations”, said Minister Kamiński. He also informed that the act would increase the number of benefits for people who suffered as a result of natural disasters from PLN 6,000 to PLN 10,000. The amount of support for the reconstruction of houses and properties damaged due to natural disasters is also to be increased from PLN 200,000 to PLN 300,000.

The bill also includes the “Ambulance in the commune” program. In every place in Poland, there must be access to such equipment to help Polish citizens as soon as possible in the case of a life-threatening situation”, said the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and announced the purchase of about 2,800 new ambulances.

The new solutions will also apply to education. Under the act, compulsory first aid courses for secondary school students will be introduced. They will be run by licensed paramedics. “The aim of these courses is not theoretical knowledge, but practical skills to save lives”, said Mariusz Kamiński.

The draft regulations provide for the establishment of a government crisis management team, headed by the prime minister and the minister of the interior as his deputy. The new body would make decisions in crisis situations and coordinate the activities of ministries.

Adrian Andrzejewski