Polish Doctor Under Fire for Working 732 Hours in 125 Days Across Four Hospitals

Dawid Kacprzyk, a doctor specializing in anesthesiology and a councilor for the Civic Coalition (KO) party, faces scrutiny over his work schedule. He logged 732 hours over 125 days across four different medical facilities, a fact revealed by the Mazovian Voivodeship Sejmik.

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On February 2, 2026, some doctors unexpectedly stopped working, jeopardizing the continuity of care.

Kacprzyk's dual role as a doctor and politician has drawn attention, particularly his involvement in coordinating emergency departments at both the Bródno Hospital and the Southern Hospital in Warsaw. He served as deputy coordinator for the emergency department at Bródno Hospital under a contract initially spanning three months and later extended.

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Doctors are not undertaking further care for the patients of the department.

The controversy gained traction following reports from Zero.pl detailing alleged abuses by Kacprzyk. The situation escalated after a letter from the former coordinator of the Bródno Hospital's emergency department, Marek Marecki, dated January 30, 2026, informed the hospital's management that doctors would cease patient care starting February 2. Marecki cited "permanent feelings of threatened health safety for patients, as well as for the doctors responsible for them" due to an "unlimited influx of patients" and limitations in admitting them to other hospital departments. He also mentioned "professional burnout" among doctors, stemming from a lack of support and "impossible expectations" from management.

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This dramatic decision for us is dictated by a permanent sense of threatened health safety for patients, as well as for the doctors responsible for them. This results from the unlimited influx of patients to the ER and numerous limitations in admitting them to departments after diagnostics and treatment in the Emergency Department.

This led to a partial staffing shortage at the Bródno Hospital's emergency department on February 2, with several doctors failing to report for their shifts. The incident underscores broader concerns about hospital staffing and management practices in Poland.

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Lack of support from the Management, as well as from the department coordinators, results in professional burnout of the doctors I represent. Impossible expectations from the Management and pressure to implement often contradictory decisions and orders, under threat of penalties, do not allow for continued responsible care for the sick.