Ewa Kralkowska turns down post of Health Minister

Ewa Kralkowska will not be the new Health Minister, having decided not to take the post for which she had been nominated. On Tuesday, after a fall-out with PM Miller over the appointment of Aleksander Nauman as head of the National Health Fund (NFZ), Health Minister Marek Balicki stepped down. Kralkowska, in a special declaration, justified her decision in a similar manner explaining that her resignation is connected with the confusion surrounding the appointment of the NFZ President. "Healthcare is in dire need of tranquility not tension, negative emotions and personal disputes," said Kralkowska. Meanwhile Balicki explained, "The Prime Minister made a choice which I cannot fathom. I believe his decision was unfavorable for the government, for the SLD and in general for the improvement of healthcare in Poland.” President Kwaśniewski nominated two new ministers for Treasury and Health - Piotr Czyżewski and Leszek Sikorski respectively. (www.rmf.pl) A.C.