The hospital said the employee was fired without notice for a serious breach of basic duties.
In a statement, it said the dismissal was linked to the employee's failure to uphold the obligation to protect the hospital's reputation, remain loyal to the employer, and respect the dignity of the deceased and the grief of their families.
"The role of a mortuary coordinator requires the highest standards of care for the deceased," the hospital said, adding that families must be able to trust the institution and that any attempt to associate death with commercial gain, directly or indirectly, was unacceptable.
The dismissal came a day after the Warsaw District Prosecutor's Office said it had found no evidence to support allegations of so-called "corpse trafficking" at the hospital.
Prosecutors said they had reviewed the evidence and interviewed witnesses but found no indication that families had been steered toward a specific funeral home.
They also said there were no grounds to open a criminal investigation into the mortuary's operations.
The hospital had previously asked prosecutors to investigate two separate matters: allegations that listening devices had been installed in the mortuary and the publication of autopsy photographs.
The investigation into the alleged wiretapping was discontinued, while prosecutors declined to open a second inquiry, saying the publication of the photographs did not constitute desecration because they had been intended for educational purposes related to thanatology—the study of death, its causes and the findings of post-mortem examinations.
'Trade in dead bodies'
The hospital urged media outlets to avoid drawing conclusions before the allegations had been fully verified, saying inaccurate reporting could undermine public trust and cause unnecessary distress.
It added that, based on prosecutors' findings, media reports alleging "trade in dead bodies" at the hospital were not supported by the evidence. At the same time, management said any confirmed misconduct would be addressed and those responsible held accountable.
The controversy followed a report by the zero.pl outlet, which alleged that the mortuary coordinator promoted his partner's funeral home, posted photographs of bodies and human remains on social media, and rented out the mortuary as a film set.
Thursday's statement was issued by the hospital's new management, appointed on June 18 after Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski dismissed the previous leadership.
The shake-up followed a separate zero.pl report alleging financial irregularities and medical misconduct by Dawid Kacprzyk, head of the hospital's emergency department and a local councilor from the governing Civic Coalition (KO) party.
The report also alleged that ruling party politicians received preferential treatment at the emergency department, including expedited admission and diagnostic testing.
Trzaskowski has denied receiving information about irregularities at the city-owned hospital before the allegations became public.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said last week he had instructed the justice minister to personally oversee investigations into allegations of misconduct at Południowy Hospital following claims that medical failures may have contributed to patient deaths.
"Every aspect of this case will be clarified," Tusk told reporters, adding that anyone responsible for wrongdoing, negligence or false accusations would face consequences.
(pu/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP