ZDK Government calls for reason among Zenica City Council members: Declare public interest for the construction of the New Cantonal Hospital

(Patria) - The Government of Zenica-Doboj Canton vehemently rejects the blackmail and speculative approach of the Mayor of Zenica, Fuad Kasumović, regarding the resolution of the land status within the Cantonal Hospital Zenica premises, aiming to remove the currently biggest obstacle for the realization of the New Cantonal Hospital project.

We ask the Mayor again why he is allowing privileges to a private investor for the construction of a private facility at the same location, while blackmailing public healthcare! Why does he declare a private project as a public interest, while demanding the Government of Zenica-Doboj Canton to pay 16 million KM, with the price determined as if at a market.

The first decision, adopted by the Zenica City Council before the last elections, which allowed the Government of Zenica-Doboj Canton to build the New Cantonal Hospital without any compensation, was the only correct and just one, but Kasumović withdrew that decision after the elections, showing his true colors again.

After that, he offered an illegal decision, which is unacceptable even to his legal counsel, and now, under the guise of blackmail, he announces the withdrawal of that decision as well.

The Government of Zenica-Doboj Canton requests that the Zenica City Council declare public interest, which this project certainly is, and cede the land for the construction of the New Cantonal Hospital at the location where the largest public healthcare institution in this region has been located since 1959.

The second acceptable option is to adopt a legal decision that would regulate mutual relations, and the Government would undertake the obligation to finance development projects in Zenica, such as the Emergency Medical Service project, for which the Government has secured more than half of the necessary funds. It is acceptable to agree on a realistic monetary compensation or, ultimately, to allow construction under the same conditions as those given to the private clinic.

The public must know that due to Fuad Kasumović's meddling, we have lost 1 million euros in non-refundable funds from the EBRD and are unable to realize the loan from the mentioned financial institution, for which we have been paying penalties for a long time, and the process of fulfilling the conditions for obtaining university hospital status, which would bring JU Cantonal Hospital Zenica additional annual revenue of 8 million KM, is blocked!

All of this, in addition to significantly higher quality healthcare services at the Cantonal Hospital, would bring numerous benefits to the citizens of Zenica and its economy - certainly much greater than what the commercial zone being built on Kasumović's wife's land will bring to the citizens, or the new customs terminal through which spouses Kasumović will take away the last valuable income from Željezara Zenica and its remaining workers. Only in this is Mayor Kasumović fast and efficient.

The Government of Zenica-Doboj Canton calls on the councilors in the Zenica City Council for reason and responsibility, and to stop the meddling and manipulations orchestrated by Mayor Kasumović, because the Cantonal Hospital Zenica is a public good for all of us, and its development is of special interest to the City of Zenica and its citizens, it was announced.