European Commissioner for Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi is visiting Belgrade. Accompanied by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, he visited the construction site of the children’s hospital Tiršova 2, for which the European Union has allocated 35.7 million non-refundable funds.
“It is important that people know that this project deserved the great attention of the European Union, I want to thank them. This is a huge amount of money. Thanks also to Commissioner Varhelyi, President Von der Leyen. They will give 35 million euros as a gift”, Vučić said, adding that it will be a very modern hospital, intended for all children in the region.
Vučić said that the size of the construction site is impressive.
“Preparatory works, which are the most complicated, will probably be completed by November, and then the construction of all necessary capacities will begin.” A total of 60 thousand square meters will be built “, said Vučić and concluded:
“Thank you very much for this, the citizens of Serbia are grateful.”
The European Union has never supported such a large health infrastructure investment, Commissioner Varhelyi pointed out. He added that such a project is a consequence of the Covid pandemic, which taught us to appreciate health even more.
“The health, especially the health of our children, is the most important thing,” said the commissioner, adding that in about three years or less, Tirsova 2 will become a reality.
“I am sure that the patients will appreciate this, because this gives a great contribution to the city and the state,” Varhelyi concluded.
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The event was also attended by the EU Ambassador to Serbia – Emanuele Giaufret, Minister of Health Zlatibor Loncar, Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimovic, Mayor of Belgrade and former director of Tirsova, Dr. Zoran Radojicic, Deputy Mayor Goran Vesic, and Marko Blagojevic – Director of the Public Investment Office, and Siniša Dučić, director of Tiršova 2.
The construction of the new University Children’s Hospital Tiršova 2 started in October in Belgrade, and the completion of the works is expected by 2025.
The location of the new children’s clinic will be located within the Clinical Center of Serbia, in the part along the highway and in the immediate vicinity of the existing building of this specialised institution. The hospital will have direct access from the highway.
Funds for the realisation of this project were provided partially from an EU donation in the total value of 35.7 million euros. The second tranche is provided through a loan from the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB). This is one of the largest grants approved by the EU for projects outside the transport and energy sectors.
Therefore, this project represents a significant contribution of the European Union to the safety and health of children in Serbia.
Over the past two decades the EU equipped hospitals, laboratories, institutes of public health and blood transfusion centres and provided a total of 284 fully equipped ambulances for health centres around Serbia, 122 of which were equipped with ventilators, crucial in the fight against Covid-19.
In general, the EU supported Serbia’s entire healthcare network: through the European Investment Bank funds in the amount of 250 million EUR were used for the reconstruction and construction of 20 large hospitals across Serbia, including the “Torlak” Institute, as well as the four University Clinical Centres in Belgrade, Niš, Novi Sad and Kragujevac, all of them instrumental in the fight against coronavirus.
Thanks to EU’s assistance, millions of Serbian citizens have better and more modern health care across Serbia.
