Petty political nitpicking holds up healthcare bill deliberation process

Although the deadline for the Sejm Health Commission to conclude work on the new framework of the health care system passes today, the commission has gone through less than a 100 out of the 250 articles of the bill. Despite considerable chaos in the healthcare system, deputies do not seem to feel any great urgency and have proposed numerous amendments of a purely political nature, such as those regarding the financing of contraceptives by the state. Prime Minister Marek Belka met with deputies yesterday and declared that the government would present amendments to its draft of the bill by Monday, which should allow the Sejm to discuss the bill at its plenary meeting before the end of the month. The Civic Platform (PO), which is the largest opposition party, said that it is open to cooperation and would present its suggestions to the Prime Minister as the parliamentary Health Commission was unwilling to consider them seriously. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A3) T.J.