Olsztyn hospital redirects pregnant women amid regional ward closures

The Provincial Specialist Hospital in Olsztyn has redirected 28 pregnant women to other medical facilities between January and August 2026. This trend follows the closure of maternity wards in several smaller towns across the Warmia-Masuria region, including Biskupiec, Ostróda, and Nowe Miasto Lubawskie.

As a third-level referral unit, the Olsztyn hospital focuses on high-risk pregnancies and complications. Hospital spokesperson Marta Gołąb-Kocięcka stated that the facility does not redirect patients with complicated pregnancies and assured that all 28 redirected women received appropriate medical care. The hospital reported an increase of 66 patients in the first half of 2026 compared to the previous year.

While some local officials have raised concerns regarding hospital capacity and overcrowding, the head of the maternity ward, Dr. Tomasz Waśniewski, noted that the facility maintains five well-equipped delivery rooms and that patient redirection occurs only sporadically.