Polish cardiac surgery consultant resigns in protest over new transplant center

Professor Mariusz Kuśmierczyk, Poland's national consultant for cardiac surgery, has resigned from his position and from the National Transplant Council in protest. The decision stems from the Ministry of Health's approval for the establishment of a third heart transplant center in Warsaw.

Kuśmierczyk, who also heads the Department of Cardiac Surgery, Thoracic Surgery, and Transplantology at the Medical University of Warsaw, was appointed national consultant on August 12, 2024. He announced his resignation on July 18, 2026, stating his opposition to the new transplant center.

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I resigned from the position of national consultant for cardiac surgery and member of the National Transplant Council in protest against the establishment of a 3rd heart transplant center in Warsaw.

Previously, Kuśmierczyk had expressed concerns about the proliferation of transplant centers. In an interview with Rynek Zdrowia, he emphasized the need for caution when creating new transplant programs. He noted that the National Transplant Council had issued a negative opinion on the establishment of another heart transplant center in Warsaw. The council recommended defining the actual health needs and developing transparent criteria before approving new centers, and also stressed the importance of analyzing systemic needs, staff availability, and the impact on existing programs.

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New transplant programs should be approached with great caution. It is worth emphasizing that the National Transplant Council negatively opined on the establishment of another heart transplant center in Warsaw, while also pointing out that before making decisions about establishing new centers, it is necessary to define the actual health needs and develop transparent criteria for their creation.