170 years of psychiatry in Świecie
The Regional Mental Health Hospital in Świecie, one of the oldest psychiatric treatment centres in Poland, is celebrating its 170th anniversary. The anniversary celebrations, attended by Marshal Piotr Całbecki, will take place tomorrow (5 September). Located in a historic 19th-century complex, the facility will soon be expanded to include a mental health centre and a horticultural therapy centre. The investment, worth over PLN 35 million, is one of the largest in the hospital’s history.
“The Regional Mental Health Hospital in Świecie operates in a historic 19th-century complex under conservation supervision, which makes the consistent modernisation that has been carried out here for years a real challenge. However, we can say with satisfaction that although there is still a lot ahead of us, the effects of our actions are visible and felt by patients and staff,” says Marshal Piotr Całbecki.
The new investment will implement the idea of modern community psychiatry. The basis for the creation of the facility are unused or previously technical pavilions in the centre of the treatment complex. The buildings already have load-bearing and external walls, and the construction of the entrance staircases has been completed. The contractor is replacing the ceilings and adjusting them to a uniform level, and maintenance work on the façade is also underway. Work has also begun on the installation of the lift shaft. After a major renovation, the building will house a day psychiatric ward and a community care ward. The modern and functionally planned space will include clinics, doctors’ offices, relaxation and therapy rooms, a dental office and an entire wing dedicated to medical education. The project also includes the construction of an internal brine graduation tower. The contractor for the project is Husaria Development from Gdańsk. The value of this part of the investment is PLN 19 million, of which over PLN 16 million comes from European Funds for Kujawsko-Pomorskie 2021-2027.
As part of the same project, extensive modernisation work is being carried out in the building, which will serve as administrative facilities and an archive – the roof has been replaced and the frame for the lift has been erected. Due to the historical nature of the building, care has been taken to preserve the original woodwork and brick fragments of the façade, which have been restored. Installation work is also underway.
Installation work is continuing in the therapy building, which will be used for art therapy and horticultural therapy, among other things. It will house gardening workshops, painting studios, a modern art studio, a winter garden and a seasonal garden. The green spaces, covering nearly 1 hectare, will also undergo revitalisation. The contractor for this part of the investment (worth PLN 16 million, with co-financing from the EFKP of over PLN 11 million) is the Prof-Bud consortium from Świecie.
Other planned investments include the construction of a psychiatric care and treatment facility (estimated cost PLN 23 million), a sports hall with a gym (cost PLN 17 million) and training flats (PLN 11 million).
The children’s ward of the hospital has also undergone a major renovation. After modernisation, it has become a child-friendly space with relaxation, therapy and music rooms, school facilities, modern equipment and a warm interior design.
A secular hospital treats patients with mental disorders and addictions. The facility has 480 beds in 16 inpatient wards. It also has an addiction treatment clinic, including for psychoactive substances: opiates (heroin, morphine, methadone, fentanyl, codeine, tramal), amphetamines, designer drugs, sleeping pills and other psychostimulants, offering psychotherapy (for addicts, co-addicts and the addicts’ loved ones).
The comprehensive modernisation of the facility, which has been carried out systematically for many years (successively all pavilions, kitchen, hospital networks, administrative and technical buildings, energy modernisation, purchase of equipment and furnishings), was financed by our regional programmes from previous perspectives and our medical package of the century, i.e. the Marshal’s programme for the modernisation of all regional medical facilities.
On the occasion of the anniversary, a volume of poetry entitled Wielogłosy (Many Voices) was published, a collection of poems written by patients and hospital staff.
Regional Mental Health Hospital in Świecie:
- 480 beds
- 16 wards
- 520 employees
- mental health centre – cost PLN 19 million, over PLN 16 million from the EU
- horticultural therapy centre – cost nearly PLN 16 million, over PLN 11 million from the EU
Beata Krzemińska
spokesperson for the Marshal’s Office
4 September 2025