Hunger strike begins at Sanok hospital: unions demand the director's dismissal

A hunger strike began at the hospital in Sanok (Podkarpackie Voivodeship) on Thursday, 8 October, at 16:30. The first five participants drink only water and juices and spend the night in the hospital on inflatable mattresses. The unions promise to work as usual and to protest “until there is a result”.

All the hospital's unions demand that the powiat board recall director Wioletta Kacperska, who has run the hospital since 25 August. She is accused of lacking healthcare experience, mistaken decisions, violating employees' rights and a personnel policy without dialogue. Kacperska is a lawyer who for the past eight years ran the spa at the Arłamów hotel.

The director rejects the accusations: she says she is open to dialogue and agrees cuts with heads of departments. She presented the powiat board with a recovery plan through the end of 2027. Starost Robert Pieszczoch promised to visit the protesters on Friday and invited the unions to a board meeting on Monday.

In 2025 the hospital recorded a record loss of more than 45 million zloty. Since August wages have been paid at 70%, except for those receiving the minimum.