Immunologist Paweł Grzesiowski loses academic work after criticising government

Doctor Paweł Grzesiowski, expert in infection treatment, informed o Wednesday on Twitter he no longer worked for Warsaw's Centre for Postgraduate Medical Studies (CMKP).

"We have one dignity, to speak our minds, one must be independent. I don't work in the CMKP anymore. Please do not use this affiliation when mentioning my name (especially in the media), to avoid problems. I'd like to thank very much to my colleagues for our work at the Public Health School CMKP" - he wrote.

Anna Tomczyk-Czerwińska from CMKP told tvn24.pl that doctor Grzesiowski's last contract has expired.

Dr Grzesiowski said that for him it was a "sad situation". "This wasn't my main job, I treated it as a fulfillment of my didactic and scientific ambitions. And I was supposed to keep this opportunity further" - he explained.

"Unfortunately, it's been rather straightforwardly suggested to me that it wasn't my academic work, but rather activity pertaining to the pandemic that was the problem" - said the doctor.

"This incident gave me lots of energy to act, because I know that many people follow what is happening among the experts. Our opinions are often disregarded despite having legitimate grounds (...), and people who talk about these problems attract attention" - he added. "That's not the right thing to do" - the doctor argued.

At the same time, Dr Grzesiowski informed that Thursday morning he was appointed as the NRL expert on COVID-19.

"This is a reaction of medical community to what has happened" - he added.

"The Chairman of the General Medical Assembly Andrzej Matyja appointed dr Paweł Grzesiowski as NRL expert on fighting COVID-19" - reads an announcement at the NRL website.