08.07.2019
PKN ORLEN to promote health among Płock and Płock county residents
PKN ORLEN is set to implement a programme that will help residents of Płock and the wider Płock county to monitor their health and to prevent and treat diseases. The health promotion project will be partnered by the Maria Skłodowska-Curie Institute – Oncology Centre in Warsaw and the Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases Institute, which have signed a letter of intent to that end with PKN ORLEN. The initiative has received support from the Minister of Health as its honorary patron.
“We feel responsible for our local communities. The programme we have launched is an effect of our observations and frequent face-to-face conversations with residents of Płock and the Płock county, its main beneficiaries, many of whom are our employees. In fact, almost 70% of PKN ORLEN’s workforce, that is over 3,500 people, are based in Płock. The project is also an example of a partnership between the business and health sectors that is rarely seen in Poland, in which the Ministry of Health has played an important role. We hope that it will inspire others,” said Daniel Obajtek, President of the PKN ORLEN Management Board.
“PKN ORLEN and its CEO Daniel Obajtek have demonstrated that the business community wants to make a difference and get involved in community health initiatives. Supporting healthcare is a great long-term investment, which will pay off hugely by improving the health of employees and residents of Płock and the Płock county,” argued prof. dr hab. Jan Walewski, Director of the Oncology Centre.
The programme will be organised into four main areas:
- reporting on the state of health in the Płock county, researching the causes of cancer, and identifying the major risk factors for the Płock and Płock county population;
- running disease prevention and education campaigns for specific target groups, including children, young people and smokers;
- establishing a fast-track diagnostic and treatment pathway for detected cancer cases by developing appropriate procedures and cooperation between physicians and specialist centres;
- continuous monitoring of results obtained through the observational study and relevant modification of the education and prevention activities.
The overriding objective of the community education campaigns will be to raise awareness of the causes and symptoms of respiratory diseases among Płock and Płock county residents by sharing knowledge on disease prevention and early diagnosis of cancer. The programme also includes a series of incentives to encourage healthy lifestyles and regular health monitoring. It is also intended to help smokers quit the habit.
An important element of the lung disease and cancer treatment and prevention programme for Płock and the Płock county, which is scheduled to be run over at least the next five years, will be educationtargeted at residents of Płock and the Płock area, including children and youth, as well as physicians specialising in cancer diagnosis. The objective is to reduce the risk of cancer in the long term.
The programme is another in a series of disease prevention initiatives run by PKN ORLEN for Płock residents. During the Chemists’ Days in June this year, the Company, in partnership with the ORLEN GIFT FROM THE HEART Foundation, provided free medical examinations and advice to Płock residents at a dedicated Health Town, with almost 4,000 people attending in two days.
As cardiovascular consultations and exams proved hugely popular, PKN ORLEN decided to provide funding to purchase a new cardiovascular ultrasound machine for the Maria Skłodowska-Curie Institute – Oncology Centre in Warsaw, which alongside the Lung Diseases Institute is the main partner of the programme for Płock and the Płock county. The medical equipment, which has just been received by the Centre, will serve all patients, including residents of Płock and the Płock county.
