In the previous two years, government officials announced the construction of at least seven new health facilities in Montenegro, and so far the construction of three has begun, two of which are financed from European Union (EU) funds.
Among the health facilities whose construction has been announced are new hospitals in Podgorica and Pljevlja, emergency centers in Podgorica and Nikšić, two buildings for clinics in Podgorica, as well as the Center for Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases with the Operational Center for Public Health Crisis Situations.
The Minister of Health, Dragoslav Šćekić, said in September of last year that preparations are underway for tenders totaling EUR 10 million for the reconstruction of general hospitals in Bijelo Polje, Berane, Cetinje and Nikšić, as well as health centers in Ulcinj, Budva, Cetinje and Plav.
The MINA agency requested information from the Ministry of Health on the stage at which the construction of the announced facilities is at, if it has started, if not – whether administrative preparations have been made and tenders have been called, when their construction is expected to start, and when the started ones will be finished.
In the answers of the Ministry, signed by Šćekić, it is stated that projects worth over EUR 50 million have been launched in Montenegro in the last two years, and that more than 20 equipping, adaptation, reconstruction and construction projects in the area of the health system are currently being implemented.
“Maximum efforts have been made to initiate all necessary procedures in a timely manner so that the funds approved both from EU funds and from the capital budget of the state are used in the most efficient way and in accordance with the planned dynamics,” Šćekić said.
As he stated, at the end of July last year, the construction of the Mental Health Clinic in Podgorica began, the deadline for implementation is 18 months, and the value of the investment is over EUR 7 million.
The rough construction has been completed and the harmonization of the interior with the needs of the end user is in progress – specified Šćekić.
In February of this year, the construction of the facility for clinics for infectious diseases and dermatovenerology began, and the deadline for the realization of that project is 18 months.
Šćekić, in his answers to questions from the MINA agency, stated that the project is being implemented with EU funds, and that its total value is over eight million euros.
The foundations of the building have been completed, the concrete slab is currently being made level with the ground and we expect the rough concrete works to be completed very soon – Šćekić said.
According to him, one of the significant projects, worth over 3 million EUR, is the construction of the Center for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases with the Operational Center for Emergency Situations and the improvement of the IT system in the area of data collection and management in crisis situations. This project, which is implemented within the Institute for Public Health, is also financed from EU funds, and the deadline for the completion of the works is 12 months.
