Lead-contaminated water forces maternity ward move at Nový Jičín hospital

A regular inspection at Nemocnice Agel Nový Jičín detected dangerous lead concentrations in the water of its oldest building, Pavilion 1, which is over a hundred years old. Hospital spokesperson Radka Miloševská said the exact source is still under investigation, likely linked to outdated plumbing. Certified filters have been installed and bottled water provided, and regional authority representative Michal Kokošek confirmed the region will finance the necessary technical upgrades.

The maternity ward has been temporarily moved to Nemocnice Agel Valašské Meziříčí, and a new ward is being prepared in Pavilion 5, expected to reopen for mothers around October-November. Health officials, including Aleš Kotrla, have placed the water system under state supervision and marked the affected taps as non-drinkable. The situation accelerates a long-planned modernization of the hospital’s birth facilities.