The Lubusz University Oncology Center will be established. The Medical Fund has awarded PLN 293.8 million in funding for this purpose. Additional support is being provided by local governments – the Lubusz Voivodeship and the city of Zielona Góra, each contributing PLN 30 million as their own share.
This is wonderful news for patients and medical staff of the Karol Marcinkowski University Hospital in Zielona Góra. However, the path to securing funds for the construction of the center was not straightforward. Several complications arose, as noted by Dr. Marek Działoszyński, President of the University Hospital Board:
“This is a very important moment for the University Hospital in Zielona Góra. It’s like the ‘cherry on top.’ We have already accomplished a lot, but these four clinics have been eagerly awaiting new locations and equipment. The competition was reopened – you may recall that we have been engaged with it since 2020. At first, we were beneficiaries, then it was canceled. Now we have completed the entire investment and design process again. We have a visualization of the project ready and are practically prepared to select a company to design it. I want to especially thank the city of Zielona Góra and the regional government for positively responding to my appeal to allocate funds for the own contribution, which was a part of the scoring in this competition. The city and the regional government each contributed PLN 30 million, which gave us an additional 10 points in the competition. Without this co-financing, we would not have been beneficiaries of this project. This is a very important initiative, offering tremendous support and understanding of the needs and problems of the region’s residents.”
The following clinics will be established: the Clinical Department of Oncological Surgery, the Clinical Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Clinical Department of Hematology, and the Clinical Department of Urology. As explained by Prof. Wojciech Strzyżewski, Rector of the University of Zielona Góra, this also represents a major opportunity for developing university-level healthcare in the region:
“It is hard not to appreciate the value of new clinics and operating rooms, where students will be able to train under excellent conditions. I constantly emphasize that this is also a stage in building academic staff and improving development opportunities. We can expect new habilitations, doctorates, and professorships. This will also foster the growth of the research environment.”
Heads of the hospital departments moving to the University Oncology Center expressed their satisfaction:
“The new center offers a wonderful prospect for our patients. Conditions will be far better, more comfortable, and supportive in coping with illness. For us, it means a significantly wider range of possibilities and expanded operational capabilities. It also provides much greater work comfort for the entire team,” summarized Dr. Maciej Biczysko, MD, PhD, Head of the Clinical Department of General and Oncological Surgery at the University Hospital in Zielona Góra.
The need for new spaces and improved living conditions was also highlighted by Prof. Emilian Snarski, MD, PhD, Head of the Clinical Department of Hematology at the University Hospital:
“A large area will be dedicated to hematology. This will be a new, modern department with new rooms, more beds, and a new day ward. Much of the space will be designed for patients to have social areas, such as rooms where they can watch TV or spend time differently than just lying in bed. I also believe that the development of new hospital technologies will be possible, such as bone marrow transplantation and cell therapies. This is an opportunity to significantly improve the current challenging conditions for both patients and staff.”
The Lubusz University Oncology Center ranked 17th among the 20 applications approved by the Ministry of Health. The investment aligns with the global trend of treating cancer patients within large, integrated centers.
“There couldn’t have been a better gift for the 80th anniversary of the University Hospital. This is one of the most important initiatives of the current term of the Lubusz Voivodeship local government, considering the societal importance of oncology. It is especially gratifying that the departments in greatest need of new infrastructure were prioritized. I am very pleased and would like to congratulate all department heads, asking them to ensure that this investment meets current standards,” added Sebastian Ciemnoczołowski, Marshal of the Lubusz Voivodeship.
The total cost of the investment is approximately PLN 294 million. The Karol Marcinkowski University Hospital in Zielona Góra is contributing PLN 600,000 as its own share. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026 and is expected to take three years.
