“This is a scandal that blew up in Donald Tusk’s hands. It also concerns Minister Kierwiński and Mayor Trzaskowski,” Beata Kempa said on the programme Gość Dzisiaj (Eng. Tonday’s Guest). The adviser to President Karol Nawrocki said that responsibility for the situation should not be shifted onto medical staff, and that she expected explanations from representatives of the government and the Warsaw authorities.
In recent days, the media have reported on irregularities uncovered at Southern Hospital, as well as allegations concerning the functioning of the facility. Questions over the supervision of the hospital and the response of the Warsaw authorities and government administration have also been at the centre of the debate. On Thursday, the issue was discussed by the Warsaw City Council, during which Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski presented explanations regarding the matter.
Beata Kempa also addressed the developments on Gość Dzisiaj (Eng. Tonday’s Guest), arguing that the main focus of the debate should be the responsibility of those in management positions, rather than the hospital’s staff.
“This is a scandal that blew up in Donald Tusk’s hands. It also concerns Minister Kierwiński and Mayor Trzaskowski. And they would be very pleased if we redirected the entire discussion today against doctors, nurses, and the rest of the hospital staff,”
she said.
The presidential adviser drew attention to the reaction of government representatives after the matter came to light.
“This is a gigantic scandal, and I did not see Donald Tusk come out in the first few hours, nor did I see the health minister appear. And if we take into account that Mr Kierwiński is the chief personnel decision-maker in Warsaw, he, too, should answer many questions. Meanwhile, all we are getting are some timid statements about the need to clarify the matter,”
she said.
Kempa also assessed the actions of law enforcement authorities. In her view, the Supreme Medical Chamber reacted more quickly by launching disciplinary proceedings against the doctor and requesting that he be suspended for the duration of the case.
“Meanwhile, the man who officially reported the irregularities was called a ‘criminal’, and Donald Tusk publicly stated that, as a witness, he is not credible. That is why I do not believe this will be properly clarified at this point at all. Especially since there may be many such ‘golden boys’ of Civic Platform across Poland, something that other doctors are increasingly beginning to say out loud,”
she said.
Referring to the role of the mayor of Warsaw, Kempa said that Rafał Trzaskowski bears responsibility for oversight of the municipal facility.
“Today, the documents can be secured very quickly, because there must be confirmation there of how supervision over the subordinate unit was exercised. And if it is true that Mayor Trzaskowski, as he himself claims, did not know about it, then that is even worse,”
she concluded.