Slovakia’s new technocratic government is renegotiating its recovery plan with the European Commission after admitting that the €281 million project for an 800-bed hospital in Bratislava could not be finished before the 2026 deadline.
The Razsochy Hospital was initially planned in 1987 before construction came to a halt in the 1990s. The old structure was demolished in 2019. Under Slovakia’s recovery plan, the hospital became the biggest investment project.
“It was a good plan, but not everything goes according to plan,” said former Prime Minister Eduard Heger, who insisted the project was doable in April.
Mistakes in the project’s documentation buried the final nail in the coffin even though the government said it would take three to six months to fix.
Now, the hospital will be financed with the state budget, and, according to the changes proposed by the technocratic government, 2,200 instead of the initially planned 2,600 patient beds will be built from the recovery plan. Representatives from regional hospitals are also invited to now present projects for expansion.
Also competing for EU funds will be the second biggest investment project, a 660-bed hospital in Martin. However, while construction was set to start in mid-2023, no company entered the tender, citing low funds and a tight schedule. The projects will be judged according to their speed, cost and scope.
The feasibility of the Razsochy Hospital project has been debated for a couple of months. Under Heger’s leadership, the Finance Ministry recommended in April that the project be scrapped. Heger called this a “clerk mistake” at the time.
Slovakia is to receive a total of €6 billion in recovery funds. The new technocratic government views the implementation of investment projects as a priority.
(Barbara Zmušková | EURACTIV.sk)
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