Ziggers. The doctors rebelled, 50 affidavits filed. ‘The hospital is on the brink’

About the difficult situation at the Zgiers facility We reported on tvn24.pl on Tuesday, when we showed the position of the local medical board in Łódź, which warned that the safety of doctors and patients at the hospital in Zgers might be at risk. At the time, the Medical Self-Government had drawn attention by reducing the staffing of the hospital’s emergency department from four to two doctors per duty. During conversations with the doctors, it became clear that they were at odds with the facility’s management.

Paramedics who spoke to us noted that the manager, Halina Debsek, who has been in charge since last year, implements solutions that are good for the facility budget, but bad for patients. They said, among other things, that doctors had been reprimanded for referring patients for — in the opinion of the director — too many examinations and thus generating costs. Since our last posting, the conflict has escalated:

– We have information that 50 specialists have deposited their notices from work in the local OZZL club. If they leave their jobs, the 60 residents will not be able to fulfill their duties, and the hospital can be said to be on the brink – says Dr. Pawej-Chekalski, head of the local medical board.

Dr. Czykalski reports that on Thursday, a meeting of representatives of doctors, administration and Piotr Adamczyk, Deputy Marshal of Lodz Voivodeship, took place at the headquarters of the District Medical Council.

It should be clarified that doctors do not protest for financial reasons. Management should simply enable them to help patients. Doctors should listen to patients, and doctors should listen to management. Unfortunately, one might get the impression that it looks different in Zgierz, says Dr. Paweł Czekalski.

He stated that the meeting lasted four hours and “the conversations were very loud”. – In the end, no consensus was reached. Vice Marshal Adamczyk requested time until June 19 to change the way the facility operated. The paramedics agreed – for the sake of the patients – to this proposal – the head of the medical self-government in Lodz reports.

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What then? – If nothing changes, doctors are ready to change their place of work. It would be a disaster for the hospital and patients in the northern Lodz County. Patients from the region come to the facility, – reminds Dr. Chekalski.

We contacted the manager of Wojewódzki Szpital im. Maria Curie Sklodowska in Zgiers. In an interview with tvn24.pl, director Halina Dybcik said that she is responsible for the foundation, which “must calculate its debts in tens of millions of zlotys”:

– I confirmed this at Thursday’s meeting and I confirm it now: In my opinion, there were communication problems between the administration and the medical staff. For my part, I want to assure that I will do everything so that this problem is not as important as it is now, – says the director.

Halina Debsek, when asked about the notices filed by the doctors, replied that she hoped the specialists would not leave the hospital.

– I want to stress that we are doing everything we can to ensure that doctors work in a well-run facility. One where they can treat patients without any problems. Where the conditions are right, – says Halina Debcik.

She does not want to go into detail about the accusations made by her doctors:

– I think that the discussion between management and doctors should not take place in a public forum. Again, I’m sure the problem can be fixed. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here anymore, – concludes director Debsek.

In the near future, another meeting of doctors and management will be held at the local medical board headquarters.