"Ferencjóska"

The "native residents of Sfântu Gheorghe" knew about it, of course, but for decades many people walked past it like any other dilapidated building. Indeed, it was like a down-and-out aristocrat whose basic quality is only revealed in small details. The Ferenc József Regional Hospital - today the psychiatric department of the Dr. Fogolyán Kristóf County Hospital - was the first public hospital in Covasna County. Its construction was prompted by the deteriorating general health of the population, the increasing number of deaths from infectious diseases, and the spread of syphilis. According to a contemporary report in the Brasov newspaper Kronstadt Zeitung, it opened on 3 June 1853, with 31 patients admitted in the first month. The legendary director of the first half-century of the institution was Dr. Vilmos Daday, who had previously worked as an assistant professor at the Medical University of Cluj-Napoca, and his 32 years of work had a profound influence on the functioning of the institution.

The first major renovation of the hospital's exterior took place in 1998 when the inscription of the hospital's original name was discovered. The commemorative plaque was moved from the basement to the entrance of the hospital on the same occasion. The director of the hospital at the time, Dr. József Sándor, also wrote a letter to Otto von Habsburg, in which - in addition to expressing his appreciation - he also inquired about the possibility of financial support. His answer was clear - "everything is very nice, everything is very good, I'm satisfied with everything" - as if we had heard his great-grandfather...

 Samu Csinta