Poland's Health Minister Jolanta Sobieranska-Grenda Pushes Hospital Consolidation Amid Sejm Rejection

The Polish Sejm rejected a motion of no confidence against Health Minister Jolanta Sobieranska-Grenda, allowing her to remain in office. Opposition lawmakers criticized the minister’s agenda, pointing to a concealed list of cuts to the National Health Fund budget.

Sobieranska-Grenda outlined a series of reforms aimed at reducing health‑care spending. New regulations require obstetrics‑gynecology wards to perform at least 400 births a year to stay open, prompting the closure of dozens of maternity units. The ministry offers bonuses covering 50% of a ward’s previous flat-rate funding for two years to hospitals that shut down or convert to planned or day‑procedure units. A consolidation program will provide over 1.1 billion zlotys in non‑repayable grants to local authorities to merge redundant county hospitals. Additionally, the government cut patient co‑payments for over‑limit diagnostic services, lowering reimbursement rates for MRI, CT, gastroscopy and colonoscopy to 50‑60% of previous levels.

The minister cited ongoing investments, including a 220 million‑zloty oncology centre and 18 billion zlotys from the National Reconstruction Plan, as evidence of an improving health system despite the contentious reforms.