Thirteen out of the 17 members of the Medical Council, the body which advises the government on the pandemic, have quit owing to the “lack of impact of its recommendations on real actions.”

The resignations will come as a blow to the government, and suggest that frustration has been mounting in medical experts over the state’s handling of the pandemic.

Stepping down from their posts, the 13 said that their decision was based on the “lack of impact of the recommendations on real actions” and “exhaustion of the existing cooperation.”

They also referred to the behavior of those who were “denying the risks of Covid-19 and rejecting the importance of vaccination in the fight against the pandemic.”

The resignation of the 13, which took place on Friday, prompted the health ministry to revise the council’s powers, according to the Government Information Centre (CIR).

Following the resignations, the CIR said: “As a result of the actions of the members of the Medical Council, the advisory formula of this body will be changed.”

It added that the task of developing new procedures for its operation had been delegated by the prime minister to the health minister.

On Friday afternoon, Adam Niedzielski, the health minister, thanked all the members of the Medical Council, who had resigned today, for their cooperation.

“This decision… certainly does not end our contact. More comments on Monday,” he wrote on Twitter.