Lublin Hospital Faces Debt Crisis as Ambulance Staff Go Unpaid and Board Plans Company Conversion

In brief

• The Powiat Hospital in Lubliniec owes about PLN 80 million, with the debt rising by over PLN 1 million monthly.
• A bailiff controls the hospital's accounts, so ambulance staff on civil-law contracts have gone unpaid since July or August.
• Several wards have closed, while the county plans to convert the hospital into a commercial company over four to five months.

Debt and unpaid staff

The Powiat Hospital in Lubliniec owes roughly PLN 80 million, and that debt is growing by more than PLN 1 million each month (80 mln zł długu i groźba przerwania pracy pogotowia. Powiat chce przekształcić szpital w spółkę » Kresy - wiadomości, wydarzenia, aktualności, newsy – kresy.pl) (Nie płacą ratownikom, zamykają oddziały. Szpital w Lublińcu w poważnych tarapatach – dorzeczy.pl) (Szpital w Lublińcu ma 80 mln zł długu. Ratownicy bez wynagrodzeń od lipca – tylkoslask.pl) (Dramatyczna sytuacja szpitala w Lublińcu. Placówka ma być przekształcona w spółkę – RMF24). A bailiff has seized the hospital's bank accounts and now controls its finances. As a result, people on civil-law contracts, including ambulance paramedics, have not been paid since July or August. The county's spokesperson, Aneta Konieczny, said the bailiff treats those contracts as service agreements and takes the full payments.

Services shrinking

Several departments have already stopped admitting patients. The internal medicine ward has been closed since 20 October. Anaesthesiology and intensive care, gynaecology and obstetrics, neonatology and the operating block were suspended earlier. Patients needing that care must go elsewhere. Paediatrics, the admissions unit, the emergency ambulance service, specialist clinics and night and holiday care remain open.

Possible talks with staff

Paramedics had threatened to stop work from the start of November. After meeting the county board, they were given some hope of an agreement. Konieczny said a draft settlement will be prepared and the county will take a loan to pay the arrears owed to the staff. The board also met doctors from the night and holiday clinic and from specialist clinics, who are owed back pay as well.

Plan to convert the hospital

The county plans to turn the hospital into a commercial company, with emergency medical services as its core activity. The process is expected to take four to five months.