Patient assaults four medical workers at Częstochowa emergency ward in Poland

Emergency ward altercation

A violent disturbance broke out on the morning of Friday, 28 August 2026, at the Hospital Emergency Department (SOR) of the Blessed Virgin Mary Provincial Specialist Hospital in Częstochowa. The assailant, an admitted 20-year-old male patient, had arrived at the emergency ward on Thursday, 27 August, and remained there overnight. Hospital personnel scheduled the patient for transfer to a psychiatric department on Friday morning before the situation escalated into physical violence. As the patient grew hostile, ten staff members intervened simultaneously in an effort to overpower and restrain him. Emergency services and hospital management later confirmed the confrontation to the Polish Press Agency (PAP). Hospital spokesperson Angelika Kawecka described the struggle that took place inside the unit.

Ten people tried to overpower him, four of them later reported injuries, and one is hospitalised.

Injuries among medical personnel

The physical clash resulted in injuries to four healthcare professionals who were carrying out their regular duties on shift. The wounded staff include one female nurse, one male nurse, and two paramedics. Following the altercation, all four victims underwent medical evaluation at the hospital, where one staff member was hospitalized due to a head injury. The remaining three medical workers received care for non-hospitalized injuries before filing formal reports about the confrontation. Hospital officials noted that incapacitating active staff members immediately affected the emergency department's working capacity.

Police intervention and legal consequences

Officers from the municipal police command responded after receiving an emergency dispatch at approximately 08:30 on Friday. Sub-commander Barbara Poznańska reported that police officers arrived on site and detained the 20-year-old patient inside the facility. Following his apprehension, the suspect was placed on one of the hospital wards under constant physical surveillance by police officers. Hospital management submitted formal notices to the Police, the District Prosecutor's Office, and the National Labour Inspectorate (Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy) to initiate comprehensive proceedings. In Poland, paramedics and nurses on duty operate under the legal protections granted to public officials. Violating the physical integrity of a healthcare professional or carrying out an assault during their official duties carries a statutory prison sentence of three months to five years.

Institutional response and safety appeals

Hospital leadership published an official communication condemning all forms of violence against healthcare workers. The hospital emphasized that medical personnel dedicated to preserving patient lives should never face physical assaults in the workplace. Spokesperson Angelika Kawecka addressed the operational and personal strain placed on the department.

This is an extremely difficult experience for our entire team. Behind the attacked paramedics and nurses stand years of education, experience, and daily service to another person. Today it is they, instead of providing help to subsequent patients, who are struggling with the consequences of a brutal assault.

Management stressed that violent acts against healthcare staff harm overall safety and threaten the continuity of medical care for other patients needing urgent treatment. The administration called for a thorough investigation by prosecutors and labour inspectors to establish every detail of the incident.