Warsaw is home to the Children's Memorial Health Institute (CMHI), the highest-reference hospital for all of Poland, as well as an active research and education center. CMHI was founded by Poles living in Poland and abroad in 1968. It is a huge complex of newly designed buildings, with the most up-to-date equipment and a group of leading authorities in pediatrics and their co-workers. At present, the CMHI covers an area of 20 hectares and employs almost 2,000 people, making it the largest pediatric center in Poland. Funds come from the government, health insurance and other sources. The Maria Skłodowska-Curie Institute of Oncology is one of the largest and most modern oncological institutions in Europe. The clinical section is located in a 10-floor building with 700 beds, 10 operating theaters, an intensive care unit, several diagnostic departments, and an outpatient clinic. Each floor forms separate departments with surgical, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy wards. Each department provides the full range of combined treatment in a particular field. Although the healthcare system in Poland is free for persons covered by the general health insurance, it is sometimes slow. For those who wish to avoid queues of public hospitals, there are many private medical centers and hospitals in Warsaw.