On Friday, as part of a government visit to the southern part of the Central Slovenian region, Prime Minister Janez Janša and Minister of Health Janez Poklukar laid the foundation stone for the construction of an extension of the Children’s Hospital in Šentvid near Stična. With the new addition, the hospital will get enough space for 71 extra beds, as well as suitable facilities for the treatment of children with chronic diseases, the two government representatives pointed out.
According to Minister Poklukar, the hospital will more than double its available space with the extension. It currently has 2,700 square meters of space, and with the extension, it will have 3,200 square meters.
Namely, a new four-storey building will be constructed next to the existing premises. In the basement, there will be a modern dining hall and kitchen; on the ground floor, a department with 16 beds and an outpatient section; and on the first and second floor, the so-called large ward and the hospital treatment ward will be located. Each room will have two beds and a bathroom with its own toilet. The latter is, according to Poklukar, extremely important in all programmes implemented at the hospital in question.
According to Janša, the laying of the foundation stone marks the beginning of a project that will provide the necessary facilities and suitable premises for the hospital so that it can meet the prescribed standard. So far, not enough has been invested in this area, he said. He thanked all those who continue to take great care of children with chronic illnesses, despite these unfavourable conditions. “There are and will be lots of investments made in healthcare. We are undertaking many new projects in Slovenia. Unfortunately, in some places, we have come across unresolved land registry situations, and things that a person in a state governed by the rule of law cannot even imagine. However, we are working hard to solve those problems too,” he added.
The project is worth just over 5.8 million euros, of which 5.5 million will be European funds, and the rest will be added by the state. According to Janša, the funds for this project have already been allocated. There are still some problems with the land, but the Prime Minister believes that they will be resolved in the shortest possible amount of time.
As part of the government’s visit to the southern part of the Central Slovenian region, Janša also visited the construction site of a new kindergarten in Šentvid near Stična, which was followed by a working lunch with the mayors of Grosuplje, Ivančna Gorica, Dobrepolje and Vrhnika. Janša also said that this visit was the last regional visit of the current government in this term.
Sara Kovač
