Hungarian ambulance station head jumps into Danube
The Hungarian Ambulance Workers’ Union (MOMSZ) announced on Friday that the head of the Esztergom ambulance station threw himself into the River Danube on Thursday evening and has not been found since. The man had served the National Ambulance Service for decades, carrying out his work with integrity and dedication. According to his colleagues, he was not only an outstanding professional but also a respected and well-liked leader among his staff.
Workplace conflict may have preceded the tragedy
According to the MOMSZ’s account, the tragedy may have stemmed from a serious workplace conflict. In recent months, a new deputy regional chief physician was appointed to the Central Transdanubia region, which includes Esztergom, whose husband had recently been removed from a middle-management position in Budapest. The union claims that the new regional leader perceived this personal grievance as a “revenge campaign” and clashed with several mid-level managers.
The head of the Esztergom ambulance station was among those caught up in the dispute. Colleagues say that the conflict left a deep mark on the previously exemplary professional: in recent times, he had visibly changed, lost a significant amount of weight, and eventually went on sick leave. According to MOMSZ, the disputes completely wore him down, and he was unable to cope with what he felt were injustices.
May have jumped into Danube from Mária Valéria Bridge
The police confirmed to HVG that on Thursday, a man jumped into the Danube from the Mária Valéria Bridge. Units from the Danube River Police Department are still searching for the individual, who is officially listed as missing. While the authorities have not publicly disclosed the victim’s identity, MOMSZ confirmed that the missing person is the head of the Esztergom ambulance station.
The tragedy has shaken not only the local ambulance station but the entire ambulance service community. In their statement, the union wrote:
“Once again, within the space of a week, we have seen a second extreme and tragic case, which shows the huge and systemic problems within the ambulance service – issues MOMSZ has long been continuously raising. What more needs to happen before senior leadership finally takes these real problems seriously and begins to deal with them effectively?”
Union warns of systemic problems
MOMSZ has repeatedly stressed that the ambulance service suffers from severe organisational and personnel issues behind the scenes. In their view, the tragic incidents of recent weeks clearly highlight how employees’ mental strain, internal conflicts, and shortcomings in leadership decisions are leading to increasingly serious consequences.
In connection with the tragedy, the union has once again called on decision-makers to examine workplace conditions both in the region and nationwide, and to take effective measures to protect employees.
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I hope there’s peace for him.
Sad on a lot of levels.