Dental Practitioners in regional chambers and in the Polish Chamber of Physicians and Dentists
Vice-Chairman of the Dental Practitioners` Committee of the Supreme Medical Council
In Poland we have a joint representation of physicians and dentists in our medical self-government. Polish dental practitioners are represented at all organisational levels of the chambers. their number corresponds to the percentage participation of dental practitioners in the total number of members of the chambers and delegates for the General and regional assemblies of physicians and dentists. The representation of dental practitioners is secured in the Supreme Medical Council, and one of Vice-Presidents is a dental practitioner.
A dental practitioner might be elected as the President of the Supreme Medical Council or the president of the regional medical council and it does occasionally happen.
All the matters related to the exercise of the dental profession, functioning of the dental care system, international co-operation in the field of dentistry are the responsibility of the Dental Practitioners' Committee operating in the Supreme Medical Council. Members of the Committee are dental practitioners elected at the General Assembly as members of the Supreme Medical Council and vice presidents of those regional medical councils which have no dental practitioner as representative in the Supreme Medical Council. Additionally, there is a dental committee in each regional chamber. Dental practitioners are also active in the works of the Supreme and regional screeners for professional liability and medical courts, where they deal with all the matters concerning dental practitioners.
The majority of European countries have separate organizations of physicians and dental practitioners. We can doubt, however, whether we should apply their model or whether they should utilize our model. If certain circumstances showed different solutions, we would consider other variants in a democratic voting. The undergraduate education, interdisciplinary co-operation and even emotional and family relations and historical reasons connect physicians and dentists in Poland. Nowadays we cannot separate dentistry from medicine.
dr Andrzej Fortuna
dr Anna Lella
Resolution No. 9/06/V of the Supreme Medical Council of 17 March 2006 on membership, rules of activities and tasks of the Dental Practitioners' Committee of the Supreme Medical Council (excerpts)
The Dental Practitioners' Committee of the Supreme Medical Council, hereinafter referred to as "Committee", consists of dental practitioners who are Members of the Supreme Medical Council and dental practitioners who are vice presidents of those regional medical councils which have no dental practitioner as representative in the Supreme Medical Council.
- The Committee deals with problems regarding the dental practitioners.
- The Committee is to present to the Supreme Medical Council issues, motions, statements and opinions in all the matters of the self-government of medical circles concerning exercise of the dental profession and all the problems of dental care.
- The Committee maintains the Supreme Medical Council's co-operation with international organizations of dental practitioners.
- The Committee's tasks include in particular:
- initiating, planning, organizing and coordinating the foreign policy and international co-operation of the Supreme Medical Council with regard to dental practitioners, including:
- proposals as to the direction of international co-operation and membership in international organizations of dental practitioners;
- organization of meetings, visits, attendance of international conferences in Poland and abroad;
- collecting information on the exercise of dental profession and public dental care systems in the European Union member states;
- co-operation with all Polish organizations of dental practitioners, and in particular with the Polish Dental Association, in the relationship with the National Health Fund and other state institutions;
- monitoring the demographical situation of dental practitioners on the basis of Central Register of Physicians and Dental Practitioners and elaborating analysis and motions;
- monitoring the contracting of dental services financed from the public funds;
- proposing the "basket" of dental services financed from the public funds, with consideration of the priorities determined by the Supreme Medical Council, and participating in determining real prices of those services;
- elaborating proposals on developing the system of additional insurances in the field of dentistry;
- collecting and analyzing data on epidemiological situation of the population in the field of oral health;
- elaborating and presenting the concept of specialist training and continuing professional development of dental practitioners;
- giving opinion on drafts of legal acts concerning the exercise of dental profession and organization of dental care in Poland;
- delivering opinions on the issues and problems regarding the dental practitioners, in the field of:
- organization of healthcare and its changes;
- individual and group dental practices;
- organization of the medical self-government;
- election law in the Chambers of Physicians and Dentists;
- medical ethics;
- young dental practitioners and students of dentistry;
- insurances of dental practitioners;
- foreign dental practitioners;
- budget and finances of the Polish Chamber of Physicians and Dentists;
- social matters of dental practitioners and their families;
- carrying out other tasks commissioned by the Supreme Medical Council.
- initiating, planning, organizing and coordinating the foreign policy and international co-operation of the Supreme Medical Council with regard to dental practitioners, including: