Reconstruction in health

On July 23, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the new composition of the Council of Ministers following the long-anticipated government reconstruction. Already on Tuesday, it was reported not only that, contrary to earlier information, the reconstruction would also include the health ministry, but also that the new minister would be from outside the group of "eternal candidates." And late in the afternoon, the name of Jolanta Sobierańska-Gerenda, president of the Pomeranian Hospitals company in Gdynia, one of the most recognized specialists in hospital consolidation, emerged.

On Wednesday morning during a press conference, there was no longer any doubt. When Donald Tusk said that the ruling coalition's loss of the presidential election was an earthquake for the Polish political scene, he had some of the old government behind him, but also all the candidates for new ministers (the swearing-in is to take place on Thursday). - There are times in the history of any country when it is necessary to restrain emotions and get to work with renewed energy. This is often accompanied by personnel changes. Enough whining. Nothing has happened that would invalidate the dreams we had when we brought about fundamental change in Poland," the prime minister said, announcing in the following excerpts from his speech his willingness (and need) to stand up to a political clash with the opposition.

The prime minister thanked all the ministers he dismissed, including Izabela Leszczyna. - Minister Leszczyna has done a great job. Thanks to her efforts, it was possible to painlessly organize billions in European funds under the KPO to support hospitals and health care. Today we need a health ministry that is dedicated to doing substantive work. The ministry will be depoliticized. The new Minister of Health, Jolanta Sobierańska-Grenda, with a firm hand and against circumstances and various interests, has brought order and order to hospitals in the Pomeranian province. In the coming days, this ministry will pass into the hands of management professionals only. The only goal will be to improve the situation of patients and, I will say brutally, not to improve the situation of doctors," Donald Tusk stressed, confirming the government's readiness (already signaled earlier) to slow down the pace of salaries, above all the salaries of doctors.

Tusk announced a rapid de-partisanship and depoliticization of the health ministry, which the coalition partners were expected to accept with understanding (this means that the new minister will have the opportunity to select her colleagues according to the key of expertise). It is unlikely that there will be any changes at the NFZ. - I have always said that if the president of the NFZ is good, I don't care that he is from the previous political era," Tusk argued.

Jolanta Sobierańska-Grenda has been president of Pomeranian Hospitals since 2017, a company that manages four hospital entities owned by the local government of the Pomeranian Voivodeship (F. Ceynowy Specialist Hospital in Wejherowo, PCK Maritime Hospital in Gdynia, St. Vincent a Paulo Hospital in Gdynia, Smoluchowski Medical Center in Gdansk).

Previously, she was director of the Health Department of the Marshal's Office of Pomorskie Voivodeship for six years. She supervised medical facilities for which the Pomorskie Voivodeship local government is the creating entity. She carried out consolidations of hospitals. She supervised the transformation of marshal hospitals into commercial companies. She advised on the transformation and restructuring of county hospitals. A lawyer by education, she graduated from the University of Gdansk. She also completed an MBA for Medical Personnel at the Leon Kozminski Academy in Warsaw. In 2024 at UG, she defended her doctorate in social sciences, the topic of which was also related to the management and restructuring of medical entities.