A vote of confidence for the Tusk government. About health almost nothing, but an important announcement was made

Donald Tusk on Wednesday morning spent an hour explaining to MPs why his government should continue to run Poland's affairs, and during that hour he did not devote even a few seconds to health care topics. Instead, Tusk spoke about the July reconstruction of the government. There is to be a new structure and - in part - new people. - There will be new faces," he announced.

After 10 a.m., the hour-long round of questions to the prime minister began - 267 deputies signed up (a record in the history of the Sejm), and eventually 260 asked a question. There were, of course, also questions about health care. Already in one of the first, Katarzyna Sójka (Law and Justice) reproached Tusk for leaving out in silence an area that is facing a serious crisis, as a multi-billion dollar gap is yawning in the NFZ's finances. The former health minister blamed the Tusk government for the situation, of course. Marcelina Zawisza (Together) also spoke in a similar vein, stressing, the NFZ's coffers may still be short of nearly PLN 20 billion. However, the topic of health care finances was raised not only by opposition deputies; Tusk also heard questions on the matter from the coalition Left. Joanna Wicha asked about the lack of approval of the financial plan for the current year, and about money for overdrafts for hospitals, primarily district hospitals. There were also questions about changes in health care financing, including the possibility of moving to a universal 9 percent health tax.

In his summary speech, Donald Tusk did not answer them directly. He pointed out that health outlays have been growing "for several years," and clearly so, and that next year this growth will amount to PLN 25 billion (the prime minister did not add that the comparison applies only to plans). He stressed, however, that the increase is "asymmetrical," because it goes in huge part to health care salary increases. - We will prepare such plans so that this money goes to the maximum extent to places, activities, procedures that will benefit patients, and will not be redirected in some significant percentage to salary increases, the head of government announced.

As we wrote, the Health Ministry will present the social partners with proposals for changes to the minimum wage law at the end of June. The Prime Minister's announcement confirms that the government is determined to limit the scale of increases in health care.