The planned merger of the hospital in Bogatynia with the Multispecialist Healthcare Centre “Bolesławiec-Zgorzelec” is entering the next stage. Although the Bogatynia Municipal Council agreed to the merger of the facilities on 7 September, this does not yet mean that it will take place without additional arrangements.

During the September session of the Bolesławiec County Council, County Head Tomasz Gabrysiak presented the conditions put forward by the Bolesławiec side. The key issue is the finances of the Bogatynia hospital.

Approximately PLN 30 million in debt

County Head T. Gabrysiak said that two days before the session, a meeting was held in Bolesławiec with the participation of the Zgorzelec County Head and representatives of the Municipality of Bogatynia. The purpose was to establish the conditions under which the hospital would be taken over.

– Perhaps this merger or takeover will take place, but it will be under conditions that satisfy both sides. And it must be an agreed settlement – the county head said.

The Bolesławiec side presented its red lines. One of the most important concerns the facility’s debt. The head of the Bolesławiec County Board said:

The hospital’s entire debt, which is substantial—according to various calculations, approximately thirty million złoty—must be covered by the Municipality of Bogatynia.

Another condition: the hospital must finance itself

The county head also spoke about the future operating model of the facility in Bogatynia:

If this merger takes place, the hospital will operate under a formula enabling it to finance itself from its contract with the National Health Fund, rather than as it does now.

During a meeting of the Social Council, information was also provided about the amount of funding the municipality currently allocates to the facility’s operation:

The figure of PLN 16 million was mentioned, which is quite a substantial amount for an eight-ward hospital and certainly a very substantial amount for the—incidentally, relatively wealthy—Municipality of Bogatynia’s budget.

“The red lines have been defined quite precisely”

The county head’s statement shows that the Municipal Council of Bogatynia’s consent alone does not conclude the negotiations. Further arrangements concerning the facility’s finances and operating model are still needed.

The head of the County Board stressed that the red lines “have been defined quite precisely” by the Bolesławiec side.

How many wards?

The county head also referred to the hospital’s current structure in Bogatynia:

Today there are eight wards and eight organizational units. There will be a maximum of three to four.

We will return to this topic.