Controversy surrounds Minister's appointment of public health consultant

Health Minister Mariusz Lapinski has caused controversy with his nomination of Professor Alfred Owoc for the post of public health consultant. Owoc, a former Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) Sejm deputy, was stripped of his parliamentary immunity after being involved in an accident while believed to be driving under the influence of alcohol. The charges against him were dropped due to a lack of evidence, since he refused to undergo a breath test. The Health Minister's nomination of Owoc as one of 88 public health consultants has raised eyebrows also because the decision was made without any consultation with experts from the medical field. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A6) M.T.K.