Defence Ministry Halts Construction of Presov Military Hospital

Presov/Bratislava, 30 April (TASR) – The Defence Ministry has suspended construction of a military hospital in Presov due to concerns over the quality of work on key structural elements, Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD) announced at a press conference on Thursday, admitting that the completion deadline may be delayed. "Following the tender, the winning contractor not only began falling behind schedule, but regular inspections revealed very poor-quality work to the extent that it threatens the structure and stability of the building itself," said the minister. Construction had to be halted and expert assessments launched, therefore, with sanctions against the contractor to follow. Experts will determine whether the problematic parts of the structure can be repaired or must be demolished and rebuilt. The extent of the damage isn't yet known. "We can estimate that significant damage has been caused, but how we will remedy it will become clearer only after the expert examination, which we expect to conduct during next week," said Kalinak. Regarding the relationship with the contractor, several options are available. "They may continue after providing guarantees that they can meet quality and time requirements. The contract could be terminated, replacements could be made, or part of the project could be taken away from them. The management overseeing the project aims to ensure that it's completed as soon as possible," he stated. He also acknowledged that the completion timeline could be pushed back. "We should be able to say more about the schedule in June, once a solution is in place and construction resumes," he added. The construction site is currently being guarded by military police to ensure that expert assessments can proceed without interference and that all necessary steps for determining further action are carried out properly. The Defence Ministry signed a contract last autumn for developing and modernising the university hospital with polyclinic in Presov worth €447.8 million excluding VAT. The contractor is a consortium represented by Bekor. The new hospital is planned as a top-tier medical facility with 1,009 beds, expandable to 1,200, and it's scheduled for completion by 2027 as a strategic investment. mf/df