Prime Minister Donald Tusk appeared on the TVN24 program “Bez kitu,” where he answered questions from young Poles. At one point, he was asked about the closure of maternity wards, and it was pointed out that after the ward in Lesko was shut down, women have to travel 100-170 km to give birth. Tusk replied that he had been to Lesko and that the maternity ward there had not been closed. In fact, the ward was closed on the last day of 2025.
In just the first month of this year, around 20 maternity wards were closed in Poland. One of them is the unit in Lesko. When asked by young Poles why women sometimes have to travel over 100 km to give birth, Donald Tusk stated that women would like to have… 500 meters to a maternity ward.
Moreover, he asked for an example of a place where women have to travel such long distances to a maternity ward. The young participants pointed out that, a few months earlier, among other things, the maternity ward in Lesko had been closed. How did the prime minister respond?
“No, it is not closed,”
the prime minister replied without hesitation, thereby misleading his interlocutors.
Marcelina Zawisza, an MP from the Razem party, highlighted Donald Tusk’s false statement.
“Prime Minister Tusk says that women want to have 500 meters to a maternity ward! This is a scandalous statement toward women who will have to travel 100 km and are afraid they might not make it to the hospital!”
the politician wrote on X.
“The Prime Minister also claims that the maternity ward in Lesko has not been closed. The gynecology and obstetrics department in Lesko was closed on January 1, 2026, despite protests and visits to the Ministry of Health. Did you care so little about these women that you didn’t even notice? Come on. Women from smaller towns are also citizens and deserve a dignified and safe childbirth!”
she added.