We reported on Tuesday, January 12, on the matter of the dismissal of Zofia Barczyk from her position as director of the Zgorzelec hospital.

The response of some medical staff to the hospital director’s dismissal was to submit resignations, the zinfo.pl service reported. The outlet also published a statement by the dismissed director’s longtime associate, Dr. Marcin Wolski:

On January 12, 2021, in the presence of the county board, Director Zofia Barczyk received from Artur Bieliński, the head of Zgorzelec County, a notice terminating her performance of the directorial function and her employment.

The notice came as an enormous surprise not only to the Director, but also to hospital employees, members of the County Council, members of the hospital’s Social Council, and the local community.

The only reason and justification given for the decision was alleged irregularities concerning the COVID-19 vaccination process.

However, no irregularities in this area were found at our hospital, as the institutions supervising the Hospital’s operations have so far identified no shortcomings in the implementation of the National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme.

The ongoing verification conducted by the hospital’s COVID-19 Vaccination Team did not confirm any irregularities.

Reports in the media about the vaccination of the Mayor of Zgorzelec, Rafał Gronicz, may have raised public doubts (in total, he was the only active politician vaccinated at our facility). However, the Vaccination Team also verified whether the above-mentioned person had properly qualified to participate in the Vaccination Programme, as determined by the National Health Fund and the e-Health Centre.

Thus, the pretext given as the reason for dismissing the Director did not exist at all. The COVID-19 vaccinations being administered are very efficiently organised and characterised by high attendance.

I believe that the decision to dismiss the Director was hasty and completely unjustified, and that the manner and style in which it was carried out leave, to put it mildly, much to be desired.

Considering the Director’s indisputable achievements and role in the healthcare of our Hospital and the region, I consider such conduct morally and ethically reprehensible.

I, as well as all the heads of departments and managers of the medical and non-medical units of our hospital, completely disagree with this. We believe that the decision taken harms the patients’ welfare and the safe operation of the Hospital.

We will never accept an attempt to “get rid of” someone with such competence, achievements and charisma without any real grounds, solely on the basis of an article in a dubious-quality outlet.

Consequently, as of January 12, 2021, at 12:30 p.m., all those named above, as well as the staff subordinate to them, submitted their resignations from their positions and employment to the head of the county, demanding the immediate reversal of the wrongly made decision.

We hope that, in view of our united stance and the challenges associated with the pandemic, the County Board will come to its senses and reinstate the Director, allowing her to face the media allegations and continue working for the good of the hospital and the region’s residents.

Update: 2021-01-13, 1:15 p.m.

In protest against Zofia Barczyk’s dismissal as director of the Zgorzelec hospital, around 200 people working at the facility submitted resignations. A protest is taking place on the city’s streets.

Ambulance drivers (with sirens on) and truck drivers are, as part of the protest, travelling along the roads between the hospital and the county office headquarters. More at tvn24.pl

So far, the hospital employees demanding Zofia Barczyk’s reinstatement have not reached an agreement with the county authorities.

Video material – zinfo.pl portal:

Update: 2021-01-13, 7:00 p.m.

Statement by the Chairman of the Zgorzelec County Board regarding the dismissal of the Director of WS–SPZOZ in Zgorzelec:

The National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, adopted by the Government of the Republic of Poland in December 2020, established the order of COVID-19 vaccinations. The so-called “Group 0”, given priority access to the vaccine, included healthcare-sector employees, employees of Social Welfare Homes and Municipal Social Welfare Centres, as well as auxiliary and administrative staff at medical facilities, including sanitary and epidemiological stations.

In a letter dated January 5, 2021, the Director of the Multispecialist Hospital–Independent Public Healthcare Facility in Zgorzelec stated that on December 30, 2020, the Hospital had received 375 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. She also stated that the vaccines’ expiry date was January 3, 2021, at 10:00 a.m., while injections were administered from December 30 to 31, 2020. All doses of the vaccine were used during that time.

At the same time, from December 30 to 31, 2020, there were 500 Zgorzelec hospital employees on the list of people from “Group 0” willing to be vaccinated. Despite notifying their willingness to be vaccinated, they were not even informed of the possibility of receiving a vaccine dose during that period. This also applied to employees of Social Welfare Homes, pharmacies, Non-Public Healthcare Facilities, Municipal Social Welfare Centres, County Family Support Centres, medical supply shops and medical university students.

Meanwhile, people from outside “Group 0” were vaccinated using the doses received. This was inconsistent with the National Vaccination Programme, which until January 6 did allow family members of healthcare workers and hospital patients to be vaccinated, but ONLY when there was insufficient interest from medical staff and other professional groups eligible for “Group 0”.

The above action, which should be deemed improper during the ongoing pandemic and a violation of the principles of equal access to vaccinations, was the basis for the Zgorzelec County Board’s resolution to dismiss Zofia Barczyk as Director of the Multispecialist Hospital–Independent Public Healthcare Facility in Zgorzelec.

At the same time, the Zgorzelec County Board is awaiting the outcome of the inspection proceedings conducted by the National Health Fund.

Chairman of the Zgorzelec County Board

Artur Bieliński