Szpital św. Łukasza in Bolesławiec is expanding its cooperation with the military under the “Military-Friendly Hospital” program. It is a project that, as its participants emphasize, is intended to increase the safety of both soldiers and residents of the region. It includes not only organizational changes, but also major infrastructure and equipment investments.
Civilian hospital in the defense system
The program provides for close cooperation between civilian hospitals and the Polish Armed Forces and, more broadly, NATO forces. In practice, this means, among other things, priority admission of military patients and preparing facilities to operate in crisis situations.
– “Military-Friendly Hospital” is a partnership program in which civilian hospitals cooperate with the Polish Armed Forces, as well as with NATO forces. It assumes that the hospital gives priority to treating military patients while also preparing to operate in crisis situations such as war or threats related to civil defense – says Kamil Barczyk, director of Szpital św. Łukasza in Bolesławiec.
As he emphasizes, the program is not limited solely to organizational cooperation. Investments are an important element of it.
– The program provides very substantial financial support, making it possible to purchase modern medical equipment and develop the infrastructure needed in crisis situations – he adds.
Millions for equipment and development
As early as 2025, the Bolesławiec hospital received significant funding. – Last year, we received nearly six million zlotys in subsidies. Thanks to this, we purchased three ambulances and equipped the operating block with key equipment used in military and crisis situations – the director explains.
As he notes, mobility is an important feature of the new equipment. – The most important thing is that this equipment can be quickly transported and used in different locations. That is why we are also investing in ambulances and increasing the number of devices in the operating block, often in duplicate form – he explains.
Underground hospital and shelter for residents
The project’s most spectacular element is the construction of a dual-use facility – civilian and crisis-related.
A complex is to be built right next to the hospital’s existing buildings. In peacetime, it will serve as an outpatient clinic and underground parking garage, while in the event of a threat it will become a shelter and hospital.
– We are building a “dual-use” facility. In peacetime, it will be an outpatient clinic with parking, while in a crisis it will become a shelter for approximately seven thousand residents and a full-service hospital – says Kamil Barczyk.
The new facility is to be connected to the main hospital by an underground passage approximately 200 meters long. – It will contain approximately 70 hospital beds, two operating rooms and an intensive care unit. Thanks to the direct connection with the main building, we will be able to transport patients quickly and carry out evacuations – he adds.
Hospital ready within a few hours
One of the project’s key assumptions is the possibility of quickly changing the facility’s function.
– Since it will be used every day, its activation in crisis mode can take place almost immediately. We estimate that full adaptation to hospital functions will take just a few hours – the director emphasizes.
The entire investment may cost as much as PLN 60 million, and its completion – including equipment – is expected to take approximately two years.
Equipment that can be moved within a few minutes
Wojciech Hap, head of the general surgery department at Szpital św. Łukasza in Bolesławiec, discusses what preparations for medical operations in crisis situations look like..
– In crisis situations, operations begin as soon as the patient is admitted – often still at the helicopter landing site or in front of the emergency department. We must be ready to act immediately – Wojciech Hap emphasizes.
As he explains, equipment mobility is crucial. – The entire operating block is equipped with equipment that can be moved within a few minutes – including cabinets and instrument sets. We are able to quickly restore the full functionality of an operating room in another location – he says.
This also applies to advanced technologies. – Even the surgical robot we have is mobile. In practice, two people can transport it within a few minutes – he adds. The team already has experience in emergency operations. – We have had situations in which we had to immediately move patients and equipment, for example after a system failure. We have rehearsed such scenarios – the surgeon emphasizes.
Not only war – other crises as well
Although preparations for an armed conflict are most often discussed, doctors emphasize that similar solutions are also useful in other situations.
– War is the most extreme scenario, but there are many other crisis situations that require an immediate response. That is why we have various locations prepared for performing procedures and equipment ready for use at any time – says Wojciech Hap.
Military: a real sense of security
From the military’s perspective, the program is primarily of practical importance.
– For me and the soldiers, this primarily means a sense of security – says Colonel Rafał Grzywiński, commander of the 23rd Silesian Artillery Regiment in Bolesławiec.
As he emphasizes, soldiers can count on quick and priority assistance if needed. – We are sure that in the event of an injury or accident, our soldiers will be admitted immediately and provided with appropriate care – he notes.
The proximity of the military unit and the hospital further facilitates cooperation. – We are only a few hundred meters apart, so transport is quick and efficient – the colonel adds.
Although cases requiring medical intervention are not frequent, they do occur. – It is not a mass scale, but incidents happen – as in any organization. That is why preparation and cooperation are so important – the commander says.
Joint training and preparations
The program also provides for the development of joint training. – We have already reached an agreement and will soon begin battlefield medicine training involving soldiers and hospital staff – announces Colonel Grzemiński.
As he emphasizes, preparing to operate in crisis situations is an ongoing process. – We want to be ready both in peacetime and for crisis or wartime situations. This cooperation serves precisely that purpose – he concludes.
Investments at the Bolesławiec hospital are part of a broader trend of strengthening civilian infrastructure in the context of security. In the region, where NATO and U.S. military units are stationed, such measures are particularly significant – both for the services and for residents.