Bartoszyce hospital suspends maternity ward, expectant mothers face 70 km trips

Resignations close the wards

The hospital in Bartoszyce has suspended its obstetric-gynecology ward and its neonatal ward from Thursday, 12 November, and the pause is set to last until the end of February 2027. The county (powiat) announced the suspension in a brief communiqué, and the hospital said the doctors had handed in their notices. The suspended obstetric-gynecology ward had 14 beds, 10 gynecological and 4 obstetric, according to the hospital's website. Around 20 nurses and midwives who worked on the two wards have been moved to other departments, and they have not yet been dismissed.

Acting director points to age, not pay

Acting director Wojciech Prokocki told PAP that the decision followed the doctors' resignations and that pay was not the reason for ending the contracts. Asked about their earnings, he said age was the reason the contracts were terminated. He described a team that had been stretched thin even before the resignations:

“The doctors were of retirement age. We had four doctors working daily shifts, and we brought in doctors from other facilities for night, weekend and holiday duty.”

He added that the hospital can no longer guarantee continuous cover on the wards. The neonatal ward was suspended as a natural consequence of the maternity ward closure, and Prokocki said the hospital will have to find a solution for the redeployed staff.

Expectant mothers face drives of 70 km or more

Neighbouring Braniewo, Kętrzyn and Lidzbark Warmiński have no maternity wards either, so women from those towns and surrounding counties must now travel to Olsztyn, Biskupiec or Elbląg. In 2026 the hospital recorded just under 200 births. Reports put the distance to Olsztyn at more than 70 km, with one giving about 71 km, and the drive takes roughly an hour by car. Patients and relatives posting under the county's announcement said the distance is too long. One commenter wrote that not every woman has a car or someone to drive her during labour, and that safe birth close to home should be the standard. Another asked how young people are supposed to decide to start a family.

Finances and the recovery plan

The hospital has 189 beds and employs 197 people on contracts and 367 on employment contracts. Its debt stands at 23 million zloty, of which 12 million must be repaid immediately, and it also carries loans of 78 million zloty. Those loans are the largest of the figures the hospital disclosed.

Total debt23

Due for immediate repayment12

Loans78

Total debt

23 million zloty

Due for immediate repayment

12 million zloty

Loans

78 million zloty

Data from the article text

Prokocki said a recovery programme is under way to bring the hospital's finances in line with its income:

“We have introduced a recovery programme. We aim to spend no more each month than we receive from the NFZ.”

He said the hospital is not far from reaching that goal. The obstetric and neonatal wards are scheduled to stay closed until the end of February 2027, and until then women from the town and nearby counties will continue to travel to Olsztyn, Biskupiec or Elbląg.