Children's Rehabilitation Hospital in Radziszów - facility history

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Radziszów became famous as a tourist resort.Residents of Krakow loved to enjoy its charms and amenities, and rented rooms all over Podlesie.They believed that Radziszów’s climate had a positive effect on the respiratory system and helped in the treatment of various diseases, especially tuberculosis.

On the initiative of Kraków’s staroste, in early 1930s, there was an idea to build a colony for children from poor families in the village.8.26 hectares of forest were staked out on the southern slope of the hill and, in the spring of 1935, construction started.The designer of the facility and land development was architect Zbigniew Tadanier.The construction lasted until 1937, the grand opening of the facility under the name “Krakow District Children's Holiday Home” took place in May 1937.

The first director was Zofia Kaczor.Two teachers were running a 7-year school, working in a system of joint classes, while three educators ran out-of-school activities.The facility employed a doctor, a dentist, a nurse, an attendant and an administrative staff of two.The children came for alternating six-week stays; one for boys, one for girls.

The outbreak of war stopped the activity.The deserted building was destroyed.In the spring of 1940, the facility caught the interest of the Warsaw Social Security, which adapted it to a pulmonary sanatorium.The head was Dr. J. Zając.

Soon, patients began arriving to the centre from all over the General-Gouvernement area.They were only men.The facility employed three doctors, four nurses, three orderlies, attendants, a laboratory technician and maintenance personnel of several people.At that time, the occupation authorities were not very interested in the sanatorium and the German visits proceeded smoothly.

In early 1940, the Germans changed the centre director.The management taken over by an experienced pulmonologist, Dr. Bujak.At the same time, the German authorities decided to switch the sanatorium to German patients and Volksdeutschers.The composition of the staff was changed as well.The Polish doctors were left but the nurses were dismissed, with German nurses taking their place.During that period, it was mainly German officers resting after successive campaigns who came for treatment in the sanatorium.

In the summer of 1944, the patients and the German staff were evacuated.The building was converted into a military headquarters of the Wehrmacht.Here, German officers worked on military projects related to ongoing military operations.Soon they left too, taking away the most valuable equipment.

In 1946, the decision was taken to create a tuberculosis preventorium for children, which functioned until February 1951, in a building looted and devastated by the moving war front.At that time, director Stanislaw Feczko took effective action to raise the standard of the institution.The number of personnel members was increased, and a school was opened, with grades 1-4.Recovering in the centre were a hundred patients at one time, in three-monthly stays.

In 1951, an epidemic of polio broke out in Poland.By decision of the Ministry of Health, the Radziszów preventorium, renamed Rehabilitation Sanatorium for Children, was equipped with specialized equipment for the treatment of children suffering from the disease.The first patients were admitted on January 20, 1952.Initially, it was a group of 70 children aged from a few months to seven years.After the outbreak of the disease in the 1958, the number of beds was increased to 120 and the age limit was raised to eleven years of age.

As the number of patients with poliomyelitis dropped, the profile of the institution changed.Children were admitted with other disease entities leading to musculoskeletal dysfunctions.

From 1953, for a long time, the director and the actual creator of the facility was Dr. Józef Slatnik.He was determined to focus on raising the qualifications of his employees and enforce the provisions adopted for the rehabilitation of children.At that time, the sanatorium had a gym, massages, physical therapy and hydrotherapy.More than a hundred patients were distributed over four bedrooms, where rehabilitation exercises, preschool and school classes were carried out during the day.It was only in 1970 that three small rooms were added where classes were held.

In the late 1970s, it became obvious that the aging building did not show prospects for a better working environment.In the difficult housing conditions, it was impossible to carry out treatment using modern methods, and even the building itself required a major overhaul.At the same time, just 500 meters from the sanatorium, a new facility was being built - the “AGORA” training and education centre.In 1980, when the building had been finished in its raw state, the “Solidarity” construction crew for the “Agora” building demanded that the facility be transferred to the disabled children treated at the nearby sanatorium.After many discussions and disputes, the completion and conversion work started, which lasted until 31 May 1981, and the costs of construction and fitting of the new building with furniture, equipment and specialized equipment were covered by the Enterprise Development Fund.

On June 1, 1981, there was a grand opening of the “Solidarity” children’s centre in Radziszów” and the centre was handed over to children.Shortly after the acquisition of the new building, after 30 years of service, doctor Slatnik retired.For a short time, his duties were performed by Dr. Bogdan Fiala and in 1982, Dr. Kirena Rympel became the director of the sanatorium.During her tenure, administration offices were added, a playground was built and an additional gym was acquired.

From 1990, the duties of the director of the sanatorium, renamed hospital in 1991, were taken over by Dr. Irena Solecka.Soon, another lift and wheelchair ramps were added.Architectural barriers were dismantled.Currently, the hospital operates under the Małopolska rehabilitation centre and its director and manager is Barbara Bulanowska, MA.Currently, 135 patients are treated in residential care at the children's rehabilitation hospital simultaneously.In April 2003, a day-care unit was established, accommodating up to 30 patients.The rehabilitation department has gyms equipped with specialized equipment, a swimming pool with hydrotherapy, physical therapy and massage therapy rooms, an occupational therapy room, a biofeedback room.In the hospital, there are six doctors, two psychologists, a speech therapist, physiotherapists and rehabilitation technicians, nurses, orderlies, and technical and administrative staff.The diseases treated at the facility are predominantly:scoliosis and posture defects, cerebral palsy, damage to the central nervous system, bone deformities of the limbs, encephalomeningoceles, post-traumatic musculoskeletal dysfunctions, progressive muscular atrophy, peripheral neuron damage, ADHD.

An important link in the process of rehabilitation of children at the hospital has always been teaching work.As a result of organizational changes, the appropriate forms of teaching, educational and therapeutic work were established.At first, it was only a kindergarten, followed by grades 1-4, and from 1981, a primary school and a kindergarten.In the school year of 1998/99, as a result of the education reform, a complex of educational institutions was established.It includes:a kindergarten, a primary school and a secondary school.There is also a unit of extra-curricular activities.In 2002, on the 50^th anniversary of establishment, the facility was named after Rev. Prof. Józef Tischner.The Complex employs 34 staff members, including 31 in teaching positions.As part of the classes, custom educational teaching, educational and therapeutic programs are run, taking into account both the children's capacities and the need for improvement of psychomotor function.

The managers and directors of the facility over the years:W. Tambor, C. Tworzydło, MA, W. Maciejewski, MA, M. Cichoń, MA, B. Wąsowicz, MA, all tried to gather a group of teachers and educators for action to enable real participation of teachers in the comprehensive rehabilitation of children.In accordance with the needs of the facility, in a systematic and consistent manner, the teaching staff have been raising their skills and reaching new levels of career development.The complex of educational institutions at the rehabilitation hospital for children works with Kraków universities, and is an institution where classes for graduate and post-graduate students from the Pedagogical University of Cracow are held.

For those coming for therapy to Radziszów, the hospital is a place where they can see improvement in their health condition, a student-friendly school, kindness and understanding of the medical staff and teaching staff, as well as have a beautifully arranged holiday.

Text prepared by Maria Żurek

based on materials gathered by:

Wiesław Maciejewski, Marta Maciejewska and Maria Cichoń.