The President's Chancellery informed today that the President of the Republic of Poland,  Lech Kaczynski awarded the former Minister of Health, current member of the Lower House of the Parliament (Sejm), famous heart surgeon, Prof. Zbigniew Religa the highest Polish civilian decoration - Order of the White Eagle.

The communique states that "the Order was awarded in recognition of the extraordinary services to the Republic of Poland, and in particular for the developing of the cardiac surgery program and for outstanding accomplishments in serving the State and the Public".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_White_Eagle