First, the patient

Just a decade or so ago, a doctor's presence on social media aroused surprise and sometimes even opposition. Today, it is becoming not only the norm, but actually a necessity.

Imagine that every time you go to school with your child starts by walking through a curtain of fumes. That lunch in the school canteen is more a test of sugar and salt tolerance than a lesson in healthy eating. That 'fresh air' has become a term from science books rather than an everyday experience.

A cigarette doesn't scream. It doesn't stagger like alcohol. It doesn't wreak havoc in sudden bursts of aggression. And yet - it is the one that quietly kills over 70,000 Poles a year. Nicotine, although legal and packaged in fashionable sachets or stylish e-cigarettes, is one of the most potent drugs known to science. And although we have known for decades how deadly it can be, Poland is still unable to combat it effectively.

Did you know that thousands of women in Poland have no idea for years that... they are still virgins? And others give up sex not because they don't want to, but because every attempt ends in pain, anxiety, disappointment. In the latest episode of the podcast Po pierwsze Pacjent, Monika Rachtan talks to Professor Krzysztof Nowosielski - gynaecologist, sexologist and oncologist.

Can a procedure that saves lives also take away a sense of masculinity? In the latest episode of Patient First, Monika Rachtan talks to urophysiotherapist Kamila Grabek about complications after prostatectomy.

What does it mean to treat a patient holistically - and is the health system in Poland ready for this?

What is life like for young people in a world dominated by social media? Why do children struggling with loneliness, violence and lack of understanding often receive no help?

Is the fact that dentistry has almost entirely shifted to the private sector a sign of progress or a failure of the system?

Is social media a space for children to develop or an illusion-filled trap?

Did you know that one negative comment online can deter a patient from seeing a doctor?