Stormy debate in the Sejm. Resolution against "scare threats of privatization" of health care adopted

• During the meeting of the Parliamentary Health Committee on psychological assistance for teenagers, a second agenda item unexpectedly appeared: "current affairs"
• This slogan covers a draft resolution on expressing opposition to the dissemination of false information regarding the privatization of the healthcare system in Poland.
• This was the ruling coalition's response to the PiS draft resolution opposing the privatization of public health care , which the committee had rejected the day before.

- The Sejm of the Republic of Poland, guided by the constitutional obligation to protect the health of citizens and the principle of equal access to health care services financed from public funds, expresses its objection to actions leading to disinformation and intimidation of citizens by disseminating false information about government actions leading to the privatization of the health care system in Poland - we read in the resolution.

- In the Sejm, as well as in the Ministry of Health, no work is being carried out to prepare or support the process of privatization of healthcare in Poland. The intention of the current government is to repair the public healthcare system - it was written.

It was further mentioned that in 2024, health expenditure was increased, overperformance was paid, money was secured to increase the salaries of hospital employees, and the Ministry of Health is preparing systemic solutions aimed at improving the economic situation of hospitals and enabling their debt reduction.

In opening the discussion, the chairwoman of the committee, Marta Golbik (KO), recalled that the day before, a resolution was considered on the objection to the privatization of the public health service, which was rejected. The committee's presidium therefore decided to prepare a resolution on the expression of objection to the dissemination of false information regarding the privatization of the health care system in Poland.

The deputy chairwoman of the committee, Katarzyna Sójka (PiS), pointed out that the draft resolution was presented to the MPs just before the committee meeting and there was no time to familiarise themselves with its content.

She recalled that the resolution prepared by PiS on opposition to privatization had been waiting for three months to be considered, and this project "was created five minutes ago and immediately went to the committee".

- There is no one from the Ministry of Health at the meeting to answer many key questions - Sójka emphasized.

- This is supposed to be a parliamentary, committee draft resolution, so we do not need the ministry to adopt it - replied Chairwoman Golbik.

Opposition MPs stressed that the resolution did not fix the system, recalling that theirs, rejected a day earlier, had called on the government to act.

Seventeen MPs voted for the resolution expressing opposition to the dissemination of false information regarding the privatization of the healthcare system in Poland, while one abstained.

The PiS project, rejected the day before, called on the Council of Ministers to:

• Ensuring full financing of the healthcare system, in particular by filling the budget gap.
• Refrain from taking actions leading to the privatization of medical services and weakening the position of public health care facilities.
• Immediate filling of the gap in the health care budget from funds that are to be transferred to Telewizja Polska in liquidation and to the 800+ benefit for Ukrainian citizens who are not in an employment relationship in the territory of the Republic of Poland.
• Presenting a recovery plan for the public health service that will ensure its stability, efficiency and accessibility for all citizens, regardless of their financial situation.

Copyrighted material - reprint rules are specified in the regulations .