ZDK Government asks the City of Zenica to declare whether it supports the New Hospital project: Tešanj has already offered free land

(Patria) - After the Zenica City Council at today's session withdrew its previously given consent to the Zenica Cantonal Hospital for the implementation of capital
infrastructure projects within its premises, the Prime Minister of the Zenica-Doboj Canton, Nezir Pivić, announced that the ZDK Government will ask the City of Zenica to declare whether it wants the planned New Hospital construction project to proceed.

The ZDK Government's plan is to build the New Hospital on a plot within the Zenica Cantonal Hospital grounds, with the construction of a multi-story building
housing hospital wards, rooms with approximately 810 beds, diagnostics, operating theatres, and other facilities. The newer existing buildings would be connected via communication links to the new building, forming a structural and medical-technological whole.

- We are definitely going ahead with this project. If this is not definitively resolved today at the Zenica City Council, we will set a clear deadline for the City to declare whether it wants this project. If it does not, we have already received offers from other municipalities and cities willing to donate land for such a project - stated Prime Minister Pivić, noting that the Municipality of Tešanj, as well as several other municipalities in this canton, have expressed readiness so far.

Pivić: ZDK Government will ask the City of Zenica to declare whether it supports the New Hospital project #vladazdk pic.twitter.com/mMbCuOdBB2

— Patria (@AgencijaPatria) December 16, 2024

The withdrawal of consent for the granting of building rights, the Prime Minister stated, prevents the continuation of the New Hospital project, as well as the
project for the reconstruction of the Oncology Department, which was to be carried out separately and financed from the previously secured EBRD loan of 10.5 million euros.

- The Government, through a budget rebalance, has secured funds for the conceptual design of the New
Hospital. However, to avoid lengthy project procedures, we planned to finance the Oncology Department from EBRD funds, and we also secured 5 million KM in donor funds for this project.

Unfortunately, this cannot be realized because this decision is being challenged again today - said Prime Minister Pivić.

He emphasized that he sees no reason why the City Council withdrew its consent
and that it had the opportunity to correct any shortcomings and adopt a new decision that would enable the implementation of such important projects for citizens, as it recently did for a private investor from Sarajevo.

- Why is it in someone's interest not to build such a building, while on the other hand we have a private clinic that received all the necessary documents, free land, and an expedited procedure for land allocation. On the other side, there is a public institution that should serve citizens, and you have this kind of red tape that is delayed day after day, and you get absolutely unreasonable explanations for why such a decision is not made. If there was a legal issue, why wasn't a correct and complete decision proposed today - said the ZDK Prime Minister.

He stated that the Government in no way wants to condition or trade with citizens' interests, reminding that the ZDK Government on Friday adopted a decision to allocate 2 million KM for the new Emergency Service building in Zenica, bringing the total ZDK share in financing this project to 3.5 million KM.

- We believe this is necessary for our citizens, that they should have quality conditions in primary healthcare, and we will continue to invest wherever needed when it comes to the interests and needs of our citizens - concluded Prime Minister Pivić.