Banjaluka – Republika Srpska Minister of Health and Social Welfare Dragan Bogdanic and Director of Vamed Company from Vienna Gerhard Reiter signed on Tuesday the contract on the reconstruction and equipping of the Central Medical Block and construction of the new north wing of the Banjaluka Clinical Centre University Hospital.
It was said at the signing ceremony,which was attended also by Srpska President Milorad Dodik and Prime Minister Zeljka Cvijanovic, that Srpska will in 42 months have the most modern hospital in the region.
According to minister Bogdanic, the contract foresees the reconstruction of about 41,000 square meters of the central medical block, and additional construction of 17,000 square meters of the north wing structure. All existing clinics and premises will be reconstructed as well – the three levels which had never been finished to the day.
“This is the most significant event in the field of health care in Republika Srpska in the past, we can freely say, half a century, since we will, through complete reconstruction and additional construction, get a modern, respectable health institution, even though the Banjaluka Clinical Centre already is respectable, which will be the carrier of the development of healthcare in Republika Srpska,” said Bogdanic.
Bogdanic has said that today’s signing of the contract is actually the beginning of the completion of the project commenced 40 years ago when the works and project designing activities started on the building of Banjaluka Clinical Centre University Hospital.
On behalf of the staff and the patients, Director of Banjaluka Clinical Centre University Hospital Mirko Stanetic thanked for the announced reconstruction and equipping.
“A modern hospital at one single location will significantly improve the quality of our work,” said Stanetic adding that everything is ready for beginning of works which should take place in the course of next 30 days.
Director of Vamed Company Gerhard Reiter said for the press after the signing ceremony that Vamed Company is honored to work on the project of the reconstruction of the Banjaluka Clinical Centre University Hospital.
“We have a great job ahead, bearing in mind that in fact a new hospital should be built with the old hospital remaining in function at the same time,” said Reiter and added that a project like this requires great knowledge and expertise.
He added that this Austrian company has worked on approximately 700 projects in 72 countries since its establishment in 1982, and that they currently employ about 16,000 workers with annual turnover of around €1.6 billion.
As he said, Vamed Company obtained the tender documentation for this project at the beginning of the year, after which they have formed a team of 35 people who worked on the tender procedure, and on May 7 they submitted the bid consisting of 22,000 pages and containing the detailed and precise project.
The works on reconstruction and equipping of the central medical block and construction of the new north wing of the Banjaluka Clinical Centre University Hospital will be financed from European Investment Bank loan, approved for a period of 20 years with grace period of 10 years and interest rate of 1.5 percent.
The contract foresees that the duration of works will be 42 months plus 30 days, that the value of works is €84 million plus VAT, and that all financing of the works will come from Srpska’s budget, without any burden on Srpska’s health care system. /end/sbr
