Silence from South Hospital Doctor During Prosecution Hearing

During a formal hearing at the Warsaw District Prosecutor’s Office regarding alleged irregularities at South Hospital, former department head Dr. Emil Jędrzejewski refused to answer all questions posed by investigators.

The Refusal to Testify

Dr. Emil Jędrzejewski, summoned as a witness, appeared for questioning but declined to provide testimony without legal counsel present. Although the prosecutor denied his request for a postponement due to the urgency of the information, the doctor maintained his silence throughout the session.

In lieu of providing testimony, Dr. Jędrzejewski submitted a note naming two individuals he alleged were harmed at the hospital. Despite investigators posing dozens of questions regarding his public claims of medical misconduct, he refused to provide any verbal response.

Discrepancies Over Evidence

Prosecutors requested the surrender of the doctor’s mobile phone, which purportedly contains digital evidence of the alleged irregularities, including messages sent to Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski. The doctor claimed the device he brought to the hearing was not the one containing the relevant data.

The prosecutor’s office expressed disappointment at the lack of cooperation, noting that while the case has drawn comparisons to serious historical health sector scandals, the current procedural evidence does not yet support such characterizations. A new hearing is scheduled for Monday, where the doctor is required to appear with legal counsel and the specified mobile device.

Scope of Ongoing Investigations

The Warsaw District Prosecutor’s Office is currently overseeing 32 active cases related to incidents at South Hospital since January 2023. These investigations encompass diverse issues, including medical negligence resulting in death, theft of property, and threats against medical staff.

Twelve of these proceedings concern patient deaths, a figure the prosecutor characterized as consistent with investigations in other medical facilities. Nine of these were initiated by hospital reports, while one was initiated by a physician. Five of these cases involve deaths at the hospital’s Emergency Department (SOR) within the last three and a half years.

Context of Hospital Allegations

Dr. Jędrzejewski’s testimony follows a recent media interview in which he alleged medical malpractice, patient deaths, and the falsification of medical records at the hospital. Concurrently, the hospital is under audit following revelations concerning the high earnings and working hours of a local councillor, Dawid Kacprzyk, who served as a coordinator at the facility.

Authorities have since dismissed the hospital’s management and supervisory board. Current investigations include two primary inquiries: one concerning the financial defrauding of the hospital in the amount of 560,000 PLN, and another regarding potential violations of triage protocols for incoming patients.