Polish hospitals grapple with financial seizures and patient‑room repurposing

The Wojewódzki Szpital Specjalistyczny im. NMP in Częstochowa reported that a bailiff seized two of its bank accounts, including an investment account holding funds earmarked for projects financed by the National Recovery Plan. Hospital spokesperson Angelika Kawecka said the money should be exempt from enforcement, filed a complaint, and noted ongoing investigations. The hospital also faces an air‑conditioning failure in its new intensive‑care unit during a heat wave and is dealing with large deficits, reporting a loss of 42 million zł in the first five months of 2026 and total liabilities of about 170 million zł.

In Warsaw, the Southern Hospital (Szpital Południowy) underwent an audit announced by Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski. Shortly after the audit’s release, two patient rooms—one three‑bed and one two‑bed—were removed and converted into a teaching space for medical staff and a deputy chief’s office, overseen by department head Dr Piotr Szenk. Staff criticized the loss of patient capacity, and the mayor pledged to publish the audit findings and extend similar inspections to other city hospitals.