site.btaFinance Minister Petkova: Cabinet Approves Schedule for National Children's Hospital Construction

The caretaker Cabinet approved a schedule for the construction activities of the National Children’s Hospital in Sofia, said at a Wednesday briefing Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lyudmila Petkova. The schedule includes the necessary activities and the deadlines for implementation, she stressed. 

A total of BGN 100 million from the state budget have been provided as initial funding for site clearance, design and other activities. A grant agreement for the implementation of consultancy services has been signed with the European Investment Bank. The services will be provided by a Belgian consortium selected by the European Investment Bank, which will prepare three strategic documents regarding the structure, functions and necessary equipment of the hospital, Petkova said. 

The design process and the selection of the public procurement for the hospital design are expected to start in the beginning of September 2024. After that, from 2025, the construction of the National Children's Hospital should also start, she added.

On June 1, caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev, together with caretaker Health Minister Galya Kondeva and caretaker Regional Development and Public Works Minister Violeta Koritarova, gave the start to the clearing of the site for the construction of the National Children's Hospital. There were no appeals and construction of the hospital will begin after the site is cleared and the buildings there demolished, Glavchev said. In his words, the works can be carried out within five months instead of seven.