|
Dear Friends,
University Children’s Hospital of Cracow (UCH) is a direct successor
of the first Polish pediatric ward (1835), pediatric department
(1864), pediatric hospital (1876) and the third in the world - after
Florence (1802) and Vienna (1850) - Chair of Pediatrics.
The original hospital building was constructed
and equipped using funds donated by Americans of Polish extraction
(1965); its extension and supplies of further equipment were
financed by U.S. government grants (1974-96). American funds
administered since 1974 by Project HOPE, were gradually diminishing
to an amount allowing for carrying out a single program and were
terminated in 2000. Nevertheless, during the golden era of the
hospital’s collaboration with Project HOPE, millions of US dollars
were spent on the construction of new wings housing laboratories, a
chronic care facility and an outpatient department, on new
equipment, exchange programs with visits of US consultants to Poland
and fellowships of Polish physicians, nurses, lab personnel and the
like in leading American pediatric health care institutions,
organization of postgraduate courses that eventually brought to
Cracow participants from all over the country and - last , but not
least - subscription of pediatric periodicals. The hospital, known
at the time under the Polish name of “Institute of Pediatrics” was
referred to by everyone as “Polish-American Children’s Hospital” and
officially adopted that name.
Changes in the Polish health care system
introduced in 1999 resulted in the hospital being divided into two
separate components: Polish-American Institute of Pediatrics, an
element of Jagiellonian University Medical College, involved in pre
and postgraduate teaching and research, and University Children’s
Hospital of Cracow, an independent legal body, involved in patient treatment.
Nowadays, Our Hospital is a tertiary care referral
center for the most severely ill patients from all over Poland. We
manage children with the most advanced forms of various neoplastic
diseases, burns, congenital defects, or neonates with extremely low
birth weight. Our hospital offers services in all pediatric and
surgical specialties. Our hospital is also a teaching base involved
with research and education for students of medicine, pharmacy,
medical analytics, public health, nursing and other medical
specialties.
Unfortunately,
despite our achievements that make us proud, we also have our share
of problems. Some of the facilities must
promptly modernized. This is why we have
initiated the project of Restoration of University Children’s
Hospital in an attempt to raise funds necessary for implementation
of the most important investment and renovation projects and
purchase of medical equipment.
Thanks
to donations and support received we have purchased lot of medical
equipment. Several most pressing renovation works have also been accomplished.
Yet We are first to admit that a lot of work is still ahead if we want
to complete all repairs and renovations and furnish modern medical
equipment for all the wards, thus reaching the level equal to that
represented by other pediatric hospitals in Europe and the World.
Therefore,
we are taking the liberty of asking for your support and assistance
in restoration and modernization of University Children’s
Hospital of Cracow – an important care centre for sick
children from all over Poland. We will be very grateful for any donation.
Sincerely
yours, Maciej
Kowalczyk, MD, Ph.D.,
Director of the Hospital
If
You can help us please make a donation to:
Fundacja "O ZDROWIE DZIECKA", 30-663 Krakow, Wielicka 265 Street,
Poland
IBAN: PL 05 1240 4533 1111 0000 5425 8556
BIC/SWIFT:
PKOPPLPWXXX
More details: Fundraising Department, 265 Wielicka Street, 30-663 Krakow, Poland
Tel./Fax. +48 12 658 20 11 ext. 1104,
E-mail: akcja (at )odnowaszpitala.pl
|