Poznań. The hospital is liquidating the pregnancy pathology ward. Doctors: decision incomprehensible and harmful, only looking at profits

Decision on the liquidation of the pregnancy pathology ward at the hospital at ul. Mickiewicza in Poznań has already been adopted and is to become effective within a few days. Contracts with some of the staff have not been renewed, and the transfer of medical equipment will start soon.

– We have a week, or even not, to reorganize the ward, move the equipment, ultrasound scanners, cardiotocographs. Properly prepare the rooms in such a way that these patients can be secured in the gynecology ward, but we must remember that there is also a limited number of beds and patients will therefore not be able to be admitted for some reason – says one of the doctors from the liquidated branch.

As the medics point out, pregnant women have so far been treated “in a 19-bed ward adapted to their needs, separated from the gynecology ward”. Now they will be hospitalized in the gynecology and obstetrics ward. For their hospitalization – according to the doctors and the located Pregnancy Pathology Department of the City Hospital. Franciszek Raszei in Poznań – eight beds have been allocated.

The city authorities argue that the changes will not affect the safety of patients.

– The pregnancy pathology ward was used approximately 40 percent per year, so the number of beds will be reduced. But if there is a need, we will add beds in other wards so that every woman is taken care of. The liquidation of some of the beds will absolutely not affect the safety of patients – says Jędrzej Solarski, deputy mayor of Poznań.

Doctors, however, bounce the ball and say that the statistics are given by the management biased and do not include patients who come to the hospital for day stay and diagnostics (then the bed is not counted as occupied).

The branch, operating for several years, was considered exemplary. According to the ranking of the Birth Po Human Foundation, the gynecology and obstetrics ward at the F. Raszei in Poznań has been the best in the city for years. Doctors also emphasize that despite the general downward trend in the number of deliveries, in their hospital – compared to the previous year – the number of deliveries increased. Now that may change.

“The liquidation is incomprehensible and obviously harmful, and even dangerous for pregnant and childbirth patients from the city of Poznań and the surrounding area. It will drastically reduce the number of patients admitted for childbirth, transfer the burden to other Obstetrics Departments in the city, and in time reduce the number of gynecological and de facto, in the longer term, liquidation of the entire Gynecology and Obstetrics Department It is astonishing that such a situation is taking place in Poland – a country where such large financial outlays are allocated to pro-family policy, in the city of Poznań, which is considered to be modern and supportive of young people residents” – wrote the doctors in an appeal in defense of the liquidated branch, which was sent by, among others, to the ministers of health and family and social policy.

– A woman needs peace to give birth, whether it is a physiological or pathological pregnancy. We have a great consulting team here: diabetologists, cardiologists. We are really comfortable, but it is perceived simply – emphasizes one of the doctors.

The city announces that instead of the current 20 beds, a few in general gynecology will be retained. As medics point out, the lack of a separate pregnancy pathology ward may lead to a situation where a woman who has miscarried will lie next to another pregnant patient and listen to the CTG of a healthy fetus.

Doctors believe their ward has fallen victim to a business-like approach to treatment. The beds from the liquidated ward will go to surgery, where a new Diabetic Foot Department is to be opened. – They only look at the profits and throw out of the hospital everything that is undervalued, even if it is desperately needed. And there will be more and more pregnancies with complications, because we have problems with infertility and women give birth later and later, doctors emphasize.