The Polish Ministry of Defense has categorically rejected rumors spread on social networks that Ukrainian soldiers are receiving preferential treatment in Polish hospitals, Focus reports.
In an official statement published on Monday on the X platform (formerly Twitter), the department stressed that there are no legal provisions that give Ukrainian servicemen an advantage over Polish citizens in accessing medical care.
The false claims appeared after a video was distributed on X and Facebook at the end of last week. The footage shows a group of Ukrainian soldiers in front of a hospital in the southeastern Polish city of Stalowa Wola, and the author of the video claims: “I haven't been able to get to a doctor for a year, and they accept Ukrainians here.“ The video quickly gained popularity and caused a lot of anti-Ukrainian comments.
In reality, the hospital in question is one of over 100 in the country that work in a partnership program with the Polish Armed Forces. The initiative includes training in combat medicine, digitalization of health systems and development of rescue infrastructure. Within its framework, medical assistance is provided not only to Ukrainian servicemen, but also to military personnel from NATO member states, including France, Germany and Norway.
The costs for these patients are fully covered by the Polish Ministry of Defense. “The problem is that all this is based on a lie,“ said the regional governor of Stalowa Wola, Janusz Zarzechny, to the publication Wirtualna Polska. “Such videos fuel anti-Ukrainian sentiment - a classic example of a frame taken out of context, after which the battle is transferred to the comments.“
Zarzechny stressed that there is no priority for Ukrainians and that “Every patient is served according to their medical condition, regardless of nationality.“