Former surgeon's allegations of patient deaths and VIP perks for politicians at Warsaw's South Hospital trigger probe

Whistleblower's accusations rock Warsaw hospital

On June 23, former head of surgery Dr Emil Jędrzejewski told Kanał Zero that patients had died because a young, unqualified doctor was running the emergency department at Szpital Południowy. He claimed that Dawid Kacprzyk, a 28-year-old Civic Coalition councillor, performed procedures without proper authorisation and was absent from shifts he was paid for. A VIP waiting room allegedly let party officials and their families skip queues for consultations and tests.

People die there because someone is learning.

Jędrzejewski said he had warned Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski about the irregularities before being dismissed. Media reports earlier highlighted that Kacprzyk earned 1.6 million złoty in one year despite lacking a specialisation.

Authorities scramble to respond

On June 24, Trzaskowski announced he would ask the Prosecutor General to urgently examine the claims. Minister of Justice Waldemar Żurek held a press conference, confirming that Jędrzejewski would be questioned the same day and that documentation was being secured. He noted that since 2023, 12 deaths had been reported to investigators, with five cases still active.

The information we heard yesterday in the media, articulated by the doctor, must be checked.

Opposition figures demanded stronger action. Former prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki called the scandal “one of the biggest in the last 35 years” and demanded a parliamentary inquiry committee.

Defence rejects key accusations

Kacprzyk’s lawyer, Jacek Dubois, said his client “denies all interventions concerning falsifying documents and committing medical errors.” Dubois argued that one incident described by Jędrzejewski, a CT scan performed on a deceased patient, occurred before Kacprzyk was hired. Another death is already under criminal investigation and involved different medical staff, not Kacprzyk.

Mr Jędrzejewski accuses my client of events from a time when he did not work there.

Broader fallout and systemic critique

Former health minister Marek Balicki told Wprost that the crisis at the Warsaw hospital reflects deeper problems of party-controlled appointments throughout local government. He warned that “the crisis has reached a dangerously high level” and urged that the health minister be replaced. Krzysztof Stanowski, who conducted the initial interview, noted that while Trzaskowski bears “enormous negligence,” his swift referral to prosecutors “does not behave like a scumbag.”

Investigations into patient deaths since 2023

Of the 12 reported deaths at the Ursynów facility, five cases remain under active investigation, according to Żurek. The rest were either refused or closed.