Financial assistance Long-term care and treatment facilities during the coronavirus pandemic had to face not only the above-mentioned problems but also increased expenditure of funds. The main cost items was related to the provision of appropriate amounts of personal protection measures, as well as additional benefits for personnel working in extraordinary conditions and often overtime. In this context, the regulations issued by the President of the National Health Fund should be recalled. Their purpose was to provide additional financial support to long-term care and treatment facilities352. According to one of the regulations353 a new salary item was introduced in the form of an additional lump sum for readiness to provide healthcare services. Another regulation of August 2020354 made it possible for long-term care and treatment facilities to seek funding under the 2014–2020 Knowledge, Education, Development Operational Programme financed by the European Social Fund. The obtained funds could be used for additional remuneration for nurses, paramedics, physiotherapists, medical caregivers and support staff members who had to resign from other jobs for safety reasons, to reduce the risk of infection. The funds could also be used to purchase personal protection equipment and disinfectants for the staff and the patients. However, it should be noted that facilities where infection outbreaks occurred at the very beginning of the pandemic had no access to the support. SOBERING-UP STATIONS In 2020, the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture carried out a monitoring visit to one sobering-up station operating within the Centre for Intoxicated People in Warsaw355. • EPIDEMIC SITUATION IN SOBERING-UP STATIONS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC The NMPT monitored the epidemiological situation in sobering-up stations. To this end, the Mechanism requested the President of the Association of Directors and Chief Accountants of Sobering- Such activities were reported, among others, by Dolnośląskie Voivodeship Branch of the National Health Fund - letter of 25 August 2020, DOWNFZ/WSOZ DMS/113888/2020/WSOZ.401.2.2020, and Podkarpackie Voivodeship Branch of the National Health Fund - letter of 27 August 2020, WSOZ-KS .401.190.2020. 352 353 Regulation no. 104/2020 DSOZ of the President of the National Health Fund of 8 July 2020 amending the regulation on reporting and financial settlement of healthcare services related to prevention, counteraction and combating COVID-19. 354 Regulation No. 118/2020/DEF of the President of the National Health Fund of 3 August 2020 on the implementation of the grant project "Ensuring safety and care for patients as well as safety of personnel at longterm care and treatment facilities, social care homes, nursing homes and hospices during COVID -19”. 355 See: Report on the monitoring visit held on 2-3 March 2020, KMP.574.1.2020.RK. 135