Southern Hospital Rejects Half-Million Złoty Refund; Two Investigations Launched

After doctor Dawid Kacprzyk attempted to return 500,000 PLN following invoice corrections, the Warsaw District Prosecutor’s Office rejected the funds and opened two formal investigations into Southern Hospital’s operations.

The Failed Refund Attempt

Kacprzyk, the head of the hospital’s Emergency Department, attempted to return 500,000 PLN after “correcting 33 invoices.” Last year, he earned 1.6 million PLN, which calculations by Zero.pl suggest required working an average of 331 hours per month, or 11 hours every single day.

Warsaw District Prosecutor Piotr Antoni Skiba stated that the hospital returned the money to the sender. The transfer could not be accepted because there was no “fiscal cause” to justify crediting the funds to the hospital’s account.

Two Investigations into Hospital Irregularities

Two separate investigations were launched on Monday, June 22. The first concerns fraud involving over 500,000 PLN, while the second focuses on the abuse of power by public officials.

Prosecutor Skiba reported receiving four notices regarding the hospital: one from Southern Hospital itself and three from members of parliament, largely based on recent media reports.

The Fraud Allegations

The first investigation focuses on a financial loss of 558,558.70 PLN incurred by Southern Hospital due to the submission of unreliable invoices that misrepresented the doctor’s working hours. This offense carries a potential prison sentence of one to ten years.

Systemic Oversight Failures

The second, broader investigation concerns mismanagement by hospital representatives, specifically regarding lack of oversight at the Emergency Department and violations of triage protocols. It also examines irregularities in contracting, invoice verification, and the payment of inflated sums.

Prosecutor Skiba noted that the probe covers the failure of Warsaw City Hall officials to perform their duties. Despite receiving formal and informal reports, these officials allegedly neglected to conduct necessary periodic inspections and verifications of the hospital.

Oversight and Audits

A two-prosecutor team has been assigned to the cases, with efforts underway to delegate specific tasks to the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau. Meanwhile, the hospital remains under audit by City Hall and the National Health Fund, alongside a wider audit of Emergency Departments across municipal hospitals.