The selected site for the National Children's Hospital in the Sofia district of "Gorna Banya" is a difficult option to implement, with significant risks in terms of transport access, relief, infrastructure of the site and the volume of the future building. This is stated by a group of architects, urban planners and ecologists in an open letter to the government, in which they question whether the site is suitable for a children's hospital, quoted by the Bulgarian National Radio.
In the letter, the experts present an analysis of the development characteristics of the selected site. According to them, the planned site for the construction of the hospital is relatively limited compared to the scale of the planned extremely large complex of clinics and departments, with a staff of over 1,500 people and the organization of 365 parking spaces.
Access to the site is currently possible only through a 6-meter-wide street, which raises the question of how to ensure the movement of ambulances, fire engines, public transport and a large number of cars serving patients and staff. It is also indicated that public transport is at a considerable walking distance, and a small number of parking spaces are provided in the hospital yard, which means parking on the only access street.
The site surveys have not sufficiently proven the provision of electricity, water supply and other technical connections necessary for a hospital, the letter says.
Experts believe that for these reasons the terms in which the hospital can start operating, as well as the final cost of the project, remain completely unpredictable. And they state that if the state is interested, they can offer an alternative site, in project readiness, with excellent transport availability and location in an operating medical complex.