In the presence of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, the Minister of Health, Vili Beroš, the Director of the of the Central Finance and Contracting Agency for EU programmes and projects (CFCA) Dragan Jelić, and the Director of the Clinic for Infectious Diseases “Dr. Fran Mihaljević” Alemka Markotić, signed a contract after visiting the construction site of the Clinic for Infectious Diseases “Dr. Fran Mihaljević” for the allocation of non-refundable funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) 2021-2026 for the project of construction and equipping clinical isolation units for the 3rd, 4th, and 1st/5th buildings of the Clinic, with a total value of over 100 million euros.
Prime Minister Plenković emphasized that 86 million euros have been secured from the State Budget for the project of renovating the Infectious Diseases Clinic “Dr. Fran Mihaljević”, adding that this clinic has achieved excellent results, especially in the fight against COVID-19.
Minister of Health Vili Beroš emphasized that we are witnessing a comprehensive renovation of the Clinic for Infectious Diseases “Dr. Fran Mihaljević”, with a total value of 24.4 million euros, financed by the EU Solidarity Fund, the OPKK, the state budget, and the NRRP.
“We are proud of this achievement, but we continue with equal intensity by signing a new contract for the project of construction and equipping clinical isolation units at the Clinic, with a total value of over 100 million euros, of which 86.8 million euros were secured by a Government decision in November 2023, and 13.2 million euros from the NRRP. We have initiated a reform of the healthcare system in the field of renovation and construction of healthcare facilities, a total of 26 of them, and a total of 115 buildings in areas affected by the earthquake,” said the Minister of Health.
He added that, in addition to earthquakes, today is also a symbolic day in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic, which was declared in Croatia exactly four years ago, and significant progress has been made since then, as we witness today at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases “Dr. Fran Mihaljević”.
“The contract signed today, which the CFCA will implement with the Clinic, is certainly one of the important projects as it will contribute to modernizing and meeting today’s standards in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. By completing the project on the site of the existing pavilions within the Clinic’s complex, modern clinical isolation units will be built and equipped, which will undoubtedly facilitate the work of the Clinic’s staff and provide patients with better and higher-quality healthcare,” emphasized CFCA Director Dragan Jelić.
Completed Day Hospital, Hospital Pharmacy, and New Radiology Department
The Clinic’s Director, Alemka Markotić, thanked the Government for its support in implementing the ‘modular hospital project,’ where patient admission and triage, hospitalization, and modern treatment methods are carried out during the renovation. She emphasized that Croatia is a leader among neighboring countries in terms of such infrastructure and that there have never been such significant investments before.
“The Day Hospital, Hospital Pharmacy, and new Radiology Department have been completed, as well as the best magnetic resonance imaging machine that can be obtained with a strength of 3 Tesla, which will significantly improve the quality of treatment and reduce the waiting list. Additionally, the latest autopsy hall for autopsies of deceased from the most severe infectious diseases has been built,” said Director Markotić.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković also visited, alongside the Clinic for Infectious Diseases “Dr. Fran Mihaljević,” the building of the Zagreb School of Medicine at Šalata, which is also undergoing renovation. He highlighted that a number of hospitals in Zagreb are being renovated and expanded, with total investments exceeding 700 million euros. He stated that so far, 11,500 buildings have been renovated (including 602 public ones) or 42,525 residential units. The EU Solidarity Fund has been used for a total of EUR 1.03 billion, and an additional EUR 1.55 billion from the NRRP has been allocated, with a loan agreement signed with the World Bank, along with funds from the Croatian State Budget.
During the visit, the Prime Minister was accompanied by Ministers Vili Beroš, Branko Bačić, Radovan Fuchs, and Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek.
Source: HINA
