The Municipal Hospital in Bogatynia is struggling with mounting financial problems. As reported by Radio Wrocław, the facility’s debt has already exceeded PLN 30 million, and the local government must transfer several million more each year to keep it operating. The city authorities do not hide the fact that the situation is the most difficult it has been in years.
Despite previous cost-cutting measures, such as closing the neonatology ward, restructuring the obstetrics and gynaecology ward, and transferring rural healthcare centres to the municipal clinic, it has not been possible to stop the debt from growing.
One of the scenarios under consideration is merging the Bogatynia facility with the Multidisciplinary Healthcare Team “Bolesławiec – Zgorzelec”. As Bogatynia Mayor Wojciech Dobrołowicz emphasises, the local government sees this solution as a chance for the hospital to continue operating. Talks on the matter are under way.
The hospital management identifies insufficient reimbursement rates from the National Health Fund, rising wage costs and difficulties in recruiting medical staff as the main causes of the difficult situation.
What would this merger mean for the residents of Bogatynia?
The director of the Multidisciplinary Healthcare Team “Bolesławiec – Zgorzelec”, Kamil Barczyk, told the Wrocław media outlet:
Maintaining the basic services currently available at the hospital, but above all developing mainly outpatient services: cardiology, neurology, computed tomography, the implementation of numerous preventive programmes and broadly understood diagnostics, which residents need so much.
The final decisions will require positions from the councils of Bolesławiec County, Zgorzelec County and the Municipal Council of Bogatynia.
We will return to this subject.