The topic of the National Children's Hospital reminds us of itself again – with its long history of postponements, changes and missed decisions. If you remember – there were long efforts to build it on absolutely unsuitable terrain. Not only in terms of urban planning, but also purely constructively. It was about an old skeleton of an unfinished building that could not meet the standards for a modern children's hospital“, announced to Lili Marinkova in the “FACT“ studio and the “Conversation“ Arch. Ivan Shishkov, former acting regional minister.
We recall that the Public Council for the National Children's Hospital resigned. The main reasons for the decision are the lack of communication with the Ministry of Health and the company tasked with building the medical facility.
„When I was in both offices, we found a suitable site together with the Ministry of Health. There were urban planning problems – we solved them. At the end of the second office, we left a detailed development plan (DDP) in force, complete clarity and readiness for the next ones to prepare a task, a project and start construction. Everything was prepared“, shared Shishkov.
„But after that – nothing. Nothing happens. The only thing that was repeated were statements from the parliament that the money had been provided. And the issue is not about the money. Before them, there must be a task and a project. There is a sequence – first a concept, then design, finally construction. If we skip something, the result is predetermined – we will have another construction project made in the service of the builder, not the society“, said the former minister.
“The idea then was to build a hotel for parents next to the hospital, so that children and their families would be close to each other during treatment. We had a vision for an entire complex – hospital, rehabilitation spaces, places for parents. That was the concept. However, now we do not know what the assignment is, nor what the project is, nor when the design will begin. If we hide behind the word engineering again, we will get a construction project that serves the builder, but not the children, not the society“, added arch. Shishkov.
See more of the conversation in the VIDEO.