Jerzy Owsiak, who founded the charity in the early 1990s, told a news conference that the money would go towards paediatric gastroenterology – the diagnosis and treatment of digestive disorders in children.
He said the foundation behind the drive has already purchased four advanced endoscopic ultrasound devices – previously unavailable in Polish hospitals – which are expected to be operational by summer.
The drive, backed by the media and celebrities, reached its peak on January 25. Held under the slogan "for the healthy tummies of our children," it involved 1,681 fundraising hubs worldwide and 120,000 volunteers.
Just over half of donations – 53 percent – came through traditional collection tins, with the remainder raised digitally.
Looking ahead, Owsiak outlined a new strategic framework called "5 Plus," focusing on five priority areas: oncology, paediatric diagnostics and rehabilitation, medical simulation centres and broader public health safety.
He added that the foundation had contacted Health Minister Jolanta Sobierańska-Grenda over fears that paediatric diagnostics could face similar cuts to those affecting adult services and received assurances it would not.
Founded in 1993, the charity has now raised a cumulative total of over PLN 2.6 billion (EUR 610 million, USD 700 million) and donated more than 80,000 medical devices to public hospitals across Poland.
(ał/gs)
Source: PAP