Author: WeBalkans

The Tirš’s 2 Children’s Hospital in Belgrade is expected to welcome its first patients in 2026. The European Union has supported the construction of this new medical facility with a €35.7 million non-repayable grant. It is anticipated that, in addition to treating children from Serbia, the hospital will also provide medical services to children from across the Western Balkans region when needed. This is the largest donation ever approved by the EU for a single project, and the funds have been allocated through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), a joint initiative of the European Commission and partner international financial institutions, including the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) – which serves as the main instrument of solidarity policy in Europe by financing social projects across the 42 Council of Europe member states – the German Development Bank (KfW), the French Development Agency (AFD), and the World Bank (WB).   “It was high time to relieve some of the burden on the hospital in Tiršova, as demand has long outgrown its capacity. They began operating around a hundred years ago, during which the city grew and developed, and technology evolved as well. In addition to children from Belgrade and Serbia, many children from other Western Balkan countries have also been treated there”, says a mother from Belgrade. The current University Children’s Hospital (UKC) Tiršova admits around 14,000 patients and performs around 170,000 check-ups and approximately 6,000 surgeries annually. Alongside the Institute for Mother and Child in Belgrade, UKC provides highly specialised paediatric care for Serbia and neighbouring countries. The existing facilities date back to the 1920s and, despite previous expansions and renovations, no longer meet modern healthcare standards and are facing rising maintenance costs. The new children’s hospital, which over 200 workers are building in two shifts, is located within the Serbian Clinical Centre, alongside the motorway and close to the existing specialist institution. The hospital will have direct motorway access. Spanning over 66,000 square metres across six above-ground and five underground floors, it will offer around 300 beds, increasing overall patient capacity by 30%—allowing approximately 3,700 additional patients to be treated annually. The hospital will feature state-of-the-art equipment and a more efficient heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system. Accommodation will be provided for families of young patients from outside Belgrade who cannot secure lodging in the city, and all facilities will be fully accessible to individuals with disabilities. Healthcare services for Serbia’s youngest patients will align with European standards and address the specific, complex paediatric needs of neighbouring countries. Earlier statements about the new hospital highlighted that it would be equipped with sophisticated diagnostic equipment and utilise safer, more precise surgical technologies. Staff will have the opportunity to apply new knowledge in diagnostics and treatment, as well as engage in research and education. “This will be a challenge for many of my colleagues, but I believe it will spark greater interest in paediatrics and specialisation in this field. Private paediatric clinics are opening in Belgrade and across Serbia, but a hospital is a hospital. From what I’ve heard, this one will be equipped with the most advanced technology, and I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to work there”. says a medical student at the University of Belgrade. According to available information, the total construction costs of the hospital are estimated at €163 million. This is one of the flagship projects within the social sector of the EU’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans 2021-2027. Over the past two decades, the EU has equipped hospitals, laboratories, public health institutes, and blood transfusion centres across Serbia. It has also provided over 280 fully equipped ambulances, more than 120 of which are fitted with ventilators that were crucial in the fight against COVID-19. In general, the EU has supported Serbia’s entire healthcare network through the European Investment Bank with approximately €250 million, funding the reconstruction and construction of 20 major hospitals across Serbia. These include the Torlak Institute and four university clinical centres in Belgrade, Niš, Novi Sad, and Kragujevac, all of which played key roles in combating the coronavirus. EU officials explained that this donation to Serbia’s healthcare sector was driven by the realisation—brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic—of how vital healthcare is and the need to safeguard it with greater attention. In the meantime, the WBIF has also become part of the EU’s Global Gateway initiative — a new European strategy launched in 2021 aimed at fostering smart, clean, and secure connections in the digital, energy, and transport sectors, as well as strengthening health, education, and research systems across the world. (Every year on April 7, under the auspices of the World Health Organization, World Health Day is celebrated around the world. This date is based on the first meeting of the World Health Assembly organized by the World Health Organization and held in 1948, and has been celebrated since 1950 with the accent not “world” and not “international” which gives it greater importance and makes it global. The idea was to draw attention to priority areas that are the concern of the World Health Organization. WHO is the first specialized agency of the United Nations to which every member subscribed.)