Polish Health Ministry Orders Probe of Warsaw Hospital Mortuary

Poland's Ministry of Health has announced an urgent inspection of the Central Clinical Hospital (Centralny Szpital Kliniczny) on Banacha Street in Warsaw after media reports alleged irregularities in the management of the hospital's mortuary. The reports claimed that bodies had been stored for months, that a private funeral firm received preferential treatment, and that there were possible corruption violations. The hospital rejected the accusations, stating that the external company managing the cold storage operates legally and that previous inspections found compliance, noting only a need to review the ventilation system. The Warsaw‑Ochota Prosecutor's Office has opened a criminal investigation into alleged receipt of benefits by hospital staff. The Ministry has asked the University Medical Center Warsaw (UCK WUM) to conduct an internal review and to provide information on any state sanitary inspections. The Ministry said further actions will follow once full facts are known. Official data indicate no recorded cases of mortuary mismanagement from January 2024 to July 2026.