PiS councillor undergoes surgery at suspended ward, hospital cites emergency exception
Andrzej Kardasz, a PiS county council chairman, underwent surgery in April at Lubartów County Hospital while its general surgery ward was formally suspended. The case has prompted questions about whether public figures receive preferential access to medical care.
Surgery during suspension
The general surgery ward at the Lubartów County Hospital was suspended from March to September 2026 due to financial difficulties and a shortage of surgeons. During this period, the National Health Fund (NFZ) did not reimburse any surgical procedures performed at the facility. Despite the formal suspension, Andrzej Kardasz, chairman of the Lubartów County Council and a member of the Law and Justice (PiS) party, underwent a surgical procedure at the hospital in April. Patients requiring planned surgeries were directed to other facilities, such as the military hospital in Lublin.
- General surgery ward suspended until September due to financial and staffing problems; NFZ stops reimbursing surgical procedures.
- Andrzej Kardasz undergoes surgery at the hospital. Polsat News later reports the procedure was not an emergency.
- Polsat News reveals the story, prompting public debate and statements from the hospital and NFZ.
Hospital's emergency exception
The hospital's director, Ewa Mańdziuk, stated that the facility retains an Emergency Department (SOR) and is still obliged to provide care to patients in acute conditions, even with the surgery ward suspended. The hospital has the staff and infrastructure to perform urgent surgical interventions, and the suspension does not relieve it of that duty. However, Polsat News reported that Kardasz's procedure was not an emergency, citing documentation and hospital staff. The NFZ's Lublin branch confirmed that no surgical services were billed during the suspension period. The hospital declined to comment on the specific case, invoking medical confidentiality.
The entity has an Emergency Department and, despite the suspension of the Surgery Ward, still has the obligation to provide assistance to patients reporting in an acute state. The entity has the personnel and facilities to perform an acute procedure, therefore the suspension of the ward does not exempt it from providing emergency care.
Politician's response
Kardasz initially declined to discuss the matter, calling it a private health issue.
Later, in an interview with Lubartów24.pl, he insisted that his condition was life-threatening and that he was admitted through the emergency department.I won't talk about it because it's my private matter, my health troubles.
He also claimed that other acute surgeries were performed during the suspension, contradicting the NFZ's statement that no surgical services were reimbursed.In April I was admitted to the ER in a life-threatening condition, tests were performed and I was recommended for urgent surgery. Was I supposed to lie at home until I die?
Broader access debate
The Lubartów case has fed into a wider discussion about whether public figures and politicians receive equal access to medical services. Earlier in July, the portal Zero.pl reported on a similar case involving KO MP Małgorzata Pępek, who allegedly received preferential treatment. The hospital maintains that all patients requiring urgent surgical intervention receive care, but the discrepancy between the formal suspension and the actual performance of surgeries continues to draw scrutiny.
