News
CEB finances construction of a new hospital wing at Serbia’s Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases Dedinje
11 March 2022
BELGRADE – Representatives of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) today attended the opening of a new hospital wing at the Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases Dedinje in Belgrade, one of the CEB-funded projects in Serbia’s health sector. The new hospital wing was inaugurated by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Minister of Health Zlatibor Lončar.
The CEB approved a total of € 400 million in financing to support the Serbian Government’s ambitious overhaul of the healthcare infrastructure across the country. The funds partially finance the modernisation of selected public health institutions in around 20 towns throughout Serbia.
“Making quality healthcare available to all citizens is one of the core areas of action for the CEB,” said CEB Governor Carlo Monticelli. “We are very pleased to witness that our longstanding cooperation with the Serbian Government in the sector of healthcare has a direct and tangible impact on the quality of life of Serbian citizens.”
At the Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases Dedinje the CEB funds were used to construct and equip a new hospital wing of 14,000 square meters that will provide a range of sophisticated medical services. It has four operating theatres, three neuro and cardiovascular angiographic systems rooms, 25 intensive care units, 71 beds, and a 1.5T MRI scanner.
Equipped with modern healthcare digital solutions, the building’s systems are centralised and can be monitored remotely. A new robot-controlled hybrid surgery theatre enables simultaneous cardiological and cardiosurgical interventions. The total cost of the construction and equipment amounts to approximately € 52 million.
“I saw the passion in doctors’ eyes because they will be able to save lives,” said Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
In the past three years, the CEB approved loans worth more than € 650 million to the Government of Serbia to improve healthcare infrastructure and social care services across the country, and as part of response to the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, the Bank is cooperating with the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), which recently approved a grant of € 35.7 million to partially finance the construction of a new children’s hospital in Belgrade (Tiršova).
Set up in 1956, the CEB (Council of Europe Development Bank) has 42 member states. Twenty-two Central, Eastern and South Eastern European countries, forming the Bank's target countries, are listed among the member states. As a major instrument of the policy of solidarity in Europe, the Bank finances social projects by making available resources raised in conditions reflecting the quality of its rating (Aa1 with Moody's, outlook stable, AAA with Standard & Poor's, outlook stable, AA+ with Fitch Ratings, outlook positive and AAA* with Scope Ratings, outlook stable). It thus grants loans to its member states, and to financial institutions and local authorities in its member states for the financing of projects in the social sector, in accordance with its Articles of Agreement.
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