Without medicine, we won't win the war. Factories don't have a guaranteed power supply.

The Ministry of Health understands, the Ministry of National Defense hears, and the Prime Minister is busy with other matters. We're sending a Pole into space, and we don't think about the tragedy that awaits us if war breaks out and there are no drugs available, writes Tuesday's Gazeta Wyborcza.

In an interview with Gazeta Wyborcza, Krzysztof Kopeć, president of the Polish Association of Pharmaceutical Industry Employers, points out that drug factories in Poland lack a guaranteed uninterrupted power supply during crises and attacks. "Of course, the priority is people, hospitals, and clinics—that's understandable. But the legislature has forgotten that for these clinics and hospitals to function and save the lives of soldiers and civilians, drugs are needed," says Krzysztof Kopeć.

"What good is electricity in the hospital, and it will be clear, if there are no antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, or muscle relaxants—and these will probably run out in Poland after about two months? No procedure can be performed, except for "heroic" surgeries without anesthesia, which will cause infections and death from post-operative complications," adds the Gazeta Wyborcza source.

The President of PZPPF emphasized that the most needed medicines should be mostly produced in Poland and Europe.

"We produce some of them in Europe. But most of those on the critical drugs list are not. And that's our tragedy. Because critical drugs are population-based drugs – for diabetes, asthma, pulmonary diseases, oncological diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. In cardiology, we can wait, because the consequences of a drug shortage won't become apparent immediately, but after six months or a year. However, in diabetes, we wait a few days, and unfortunately, people will die because without insulin, we can't keep them alive. And most of the drugs for these diseases, for financial reasons – as the EU and payers like our National Health Fund – we have pushed out most of the drugs for these diseases from Europe to Asia," he emphasizes. (PAP)

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