A 35-year-old man has been remanded in custody for three months following the fatal stabbing of a doctor at the University Hospital in Kraków, a spokesperson for the District Court in Kraków informed.

The suspect is an officer of the Polish Prison Service and is now accused of murdering an orthopaedic doctor and attempting to seriously injure a nurse after storming into the clinic armed with a knife. 

Despite immediate medical intervention, the doctor succumbed to his injuries. The suspect has not admitted guilt and declined to give a statement.

In the wake of the incident, Prime Minister Donald Tusk dismissed the head of the Prison Service, Colonel Andrzej Pecka, acting on the recommendation of Justice Minister Adam Bodnar. An investigation, launched immediately by the Kraków-Podgórze District Prosecutor’s Office, remains ongoing.

The event comes in a series of attacks on doctors, paramedics and other workers in public healthcare. The corporations of medical professions claim that such a series of violent crimes comes in response to violent political debate over the healthcare system and a negative profile of doctors painted by the media and politicians. 

The Polish Supreme Medical Council has called for a nationwide minute of silence in all hospitals to honour the memory of the doctor murdered at Kraków University Hospital. The appeal was issued on Tuesday, following the shocking attack that claimed the life of the orthopaedic specialist.

The medical council has also urged all healthcare professionals and professional medical associations to wear a black ribbon on their uniforms as a mark of respect. This gesture, the council stated, is not only a tribute to the victim but also a symbol of solidarity with his family, colleagues and loved ones — and a firm stand against violence targeting those who dedicate their lives to caring for others.

Source: PAP

Photo: @Jan34733995

Tomasz Modrzejewski