Nawrocki Introduces His Own Bill Against Charlatans

Polish President Karol Nawrocki has submitted his own bill against so-called medical charlatans. The proposal is intended as an alternative to the government's "Lex Charlatan" bill, which the president sent to the Constitutional Tribunal for a preventive review, according to the Interia Wydarzenia website.

Nawrocki argues that the government's version does not sufficiently distinguish between people who endanger patients and legitimate businesspeople working in fields such as herbal medicine, dietetics or complementary medicine.

His proposal therefore introduces a new criminal offense of inciting dangerous health decisions. Persuading a patient to refuse prescribed treatment or to resort to dangerous practices would be punishable by up to three years in prison.

Stricter penalties would apply in cases involving children, pregnant women or seriously ill patients. If the offender's actions resulted in serious bodily harm, they could face up to 10 years in prison.

In the event of a patient's death, the maximum sentence would be 15 years. The bill also aims to protect the freedom of scientific debate and expression.

(mja)