Prosecutors investigate Poznań hospital after cancer patient dies following 46-hour emergency room stay

Emergency room admission and isolation

On 22 July 2026, an oncology patient named Maria arrived at the emergency department of Szpital Wojewódzki on Lutycka Street in Poznań suffering from fever, severe dehydration, and multi-day vomiting and diarrhea. Maria had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma in March 2026 and was undergoing chemotherapy, which had left her with lower-body paralysis and limited mobility in her arms. Hospital staff classified her case under triage category ESI 3, designating an urgent but stable condition, and placed her in an emergency isolation room because of suspected gastrointestinal infection. Her family described the room as a cramped former equipment storage space filled with blankets and medical devices. Because the facility lacked a specialized pressure-relieving mattress, the paralyzed patient remained on a stiff examination couch throughout her stay.

Deterioration during the 46-hour wait

The patient spent more than 46 hours in the emergency department waiting for an available bed in a specialized ward. During this period, medical staff administered oral vancomycin, glucose, electrolytes, and metamizole. However, her relatives reported that staff failed to maintain continuous monitoring while her physical state deteriorated. Intravenous lines dislodged, and hospital personnel struggled to re-establish venous access due to advanced dehydration. Maria subsequently exhibited delirium, hypothermia in her limbs, blue discoloration around her lips, and an elevated heart rate. Her son Artur detailed the lack of oversight during the emergency stay.

My mother arrived at the emergency department with multi-day diarrhea and vomiting, severe dehydration, and acute inflammation. During her stay, her condition gradually deteriorated. Despite this, she was not continuously monitored, approximately 44 hours passed between key laboratory tests, problems with intravenous access occurred, and she was ultimately transferred to the internal medicine ward without vascular access.

Transfer to intensive care and death

On the morning of 24 July, Artur sent written appeals to the hospital director, the regional marshal office, the National Health Fund, and the Patient Ombudsman requesting urgent intervention. By the time hospital staff transferred Maria to the internal medicine ward later that day, receiving physicians evaluated her condition as critical. She exhibited clinical signs of shock, with unmeasurable blood pressure and undetectable oxygen saturation levels. Ward physicians administered oxygen, intravenous fluids, noradrenaline, and broad-spectrum antibiotics before intubating her and transferring her to the intensive care unit. Maria died the following morning on 25 July.

Investigation and hospital response

Following her death, Artur posted a video detailing the hospital stay and submitted a notification to Polish prosecutors to open a formal investigation. He stated that the legal filing aims to determine whether medical staff provided proper care throughout the hospitalization, including the frequency of laboratory testing and the timeliness of intensive treatment. Szpital Wojewódzki in Poznań rejected accusations of medical negligence, asserting that the diagnostic measures and clinical treatment administered matched the patient's condition. The hospital stated that the 46-hour emergency stay occurred because no beds with the required isolation safeguards were vacant on the target ward.