Donald Tusk: there will be no additional money

Health minister defended

On Thursday's early afternoon, the coalition was also able to enjoy repelling the opposition's attack: 238 deputies against the motion, 212 in favor. No one abstained from the vote.

There were no "surprises" either, the course of the debate was predictable from A to Z. Maybe one, although it is also hard to consider it a complete surprise. Prime Minister Donald Tusk, unequivocally defending Jolanta Sobierańska-Grenda, also said that in the current budget situation, with rising defense spending, there will be no additional funds for health, and health care must cope with what is budgeted. The National Health Service will, presumably, be able to count on support from funds under the health minister's authority, although this will mean cuts in other planned expenditures (this situation has been dragging on since 2024). This means, also, that the ministry and the National Health Service will look for more ways to rationalize spending, that is - to save money. In all likelihood, already in the coming weeks, because in order for them to be felt, they should come into effect as soon as possible, on July 1 at the latest. We are talking, for example, about changes in AOS, cataract surgeries or lists of free medicines, although the scale of cuts will probably be even longer.

Spending cuts were one of the main accusations the Law and Justice Party made against the Health Minister, but of course not the only one. Both during the meeting of the Health Committee and in the parliamentary debate, the argument of strengthening the private sector, which benefits or will benefit in the near future from the worsening availability of services in the public sector, resounded strongly. The opposition threatened the head of the Health Ministry for fostering a policy of "rolling up", in addition uncontrolled, hospital wards - the specter of the Lesko hospital loomed over the MPs, mentioned in all cases, not only in the context of the closed delivery room, but also the possible liquidation of the entire institution. Finally - about the lack of vision, the failure to realize the promises with which Sobierańska-Grenda appeared in the fall of 2025 (for the first and only time) in the Sejm.

The minister herself on Wednesday asserted that she had read the charges and the motion "with humility," but on Thursday accused her adversaries of playing political games with the fears and interests of patients and trying to play up a situation that is - in financial terms - unequivocally difficult, but which was brought about by decisions of the previous government that bloated spending without securing sources of funding (here she mentioned "by name" the increase law). Half defending the Health Minister pointed out that she is not only trying, but cleaning up after the inept PiS governments in a professional manner.