There are doubts as to who received the prize and how much, and even more so – the justification. The director of the hospital in Nowy Targ, where the pregnant Mrs. Dorota died, received nearly PLN 50,000 for “creating a positive image of the facility.” The family of the deceased woman is outraged.
This is to the hospital. Mrs. Dorota came to Jana Pawła II in Nowy Targ when her water broke in the fifth month of pregnancy. She was told to lie with her legs up. Sepsis progressed. The woman died. Mrs. Dorota’s case shocked the whole of Poland, and today – not only the family of the deceased – something else is shocking. – We hear about awards, that someone representing the hospital receives an award, someone also gives the award. For us it is a mixture of very different feelings: injustice, bitterness, indecency – says Ilona Adamczyk, the deceased woman’s cousin.
The board of the Nowy Targ district, at the request of the hospital’s social council, awarded the director of the facility an award of almost PLN 50,000. – He has been developing the facility he manages for many years, taking into account the needs of residents and tourists – argues Krzysztof Faber, starosta of the Nowy Targ district.
In the justification for the award, we read that director Marek Wierzba managed the hospital well financially. This award is also for “creating a positive image of the plant”. – We are talking about a reward for 2022. The case of the deceased patient has not been completed – emphasizes Faber and adds that Ms Dorota’s case was not connected with the reward.
– Director Marek Wierzba is not only the face, but also the person responsible for managing the hospital. Mrs. Dorota’s case clearly showed that failure to implement appropriate procedures sometimes results in death – points out Jolanta Budzowska, legal advisor, representative of Dorota Laik’s family.
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The investigation into the case is ongoing
The investigation into Mrs. Dorota’s death is ongoing. The Patient Ombudsman pointed out many mistakes: from ignoring the developing infection to incorrect care. – When I heard about this award, I felt as if someone had punched me in the face for the second time – says Renata Piżanowska, a midwife and former employee of the Podhale Specialist Hospital. John Paul II in Nowy Targ.
Piżanowska worked in the hospital in Nowy Targ for over a quarter of a century, until at the beginning of the pandemic she raised alarm about the lack of protective equipment. The director fired her. The courts of two instances admitted that this was wrong. The hospital had to pay compensation.
– Outside the hospital, the director is a local government official of Sovereign Poland, he is awarded every year – says a former employee. – It is a tragedy that someone thinks that each of these scandals is a positive image for such an institution – emphasizes Piżanowska.
– Moral, but also political, responsibility rests with such a director. (…) It would be honorable not to accept this award – says Jagna Marczulajtis-Walczak, an MP from the Civic Coalition. The MP appeals to the district authorities to consider rewarding the director.
Read also: She was in the hospital where 33-year-old Dorota died. Report from the maternity ward in Nowy Targ
Director Wierzba himself commented on the matter. “The accusation of my personal responsibility for the death of a man is unjustified and without any basis,” we can read in the statement. “Regarding the annual award which you are requesting to be withdrawn, I declare that I have never applied for it, nor have I applied for it or even participated in the procedure for granting it,” adds the director. The proposal to return the prize was not included in the statement.
Main photo source: Fakty TVN