Ochrona zdrowia społeczności żydowskiej na Górnym Śląsku w latach 1945–1950

Abstract

Health care of the Jewish community in Upper Silesia 1945–1950 The post-war activities of the Jewish health care in Upper Silesia, were part of a centuries-old tradition of activity by Jewish aid organisations. Its task was not only to spread medical aid, but also to provide, under adverse conditions and at short notice, the basis of existence and a sense of security for several thousand people. In the first half of 1945, issues of health care for the Jewish population settled in Upper Silesia after the Second World War remained the responsibility of the health departments at the field committees of the Central Committee of Jews in Poland. Starting from August 1945, the health policy and the protection of the health of Jews in Poland rested on the shoulders of the Society for the Protection of the Health of the Jewish People (TOZ) reactivated within the structures of the CKŻP. The organisation’s functioning was based on provincial branches, with interventions including: primary and specialist medical care, preventive measures including spa stays or maternal and child health. The Katowice branch was established in April 1946. At its busiest, it was the second largest branch of TOZ in Poland and covered five cities in Upper Silesia: Bytom, Chorzów, Zabrze, Gliwice and Opole. Among other things, there were nine outpatient clinics, mother and baby clinics, a maternity home and a dental surgery. Their activities came to an end in 1950, when all social organisations, including Jewish ones, were nationalised in Poland.