Sasko: Shell Structure of New Hospital in Martin to Be Completed in June

Martin, 15 May (TASR) - The shell structure of the new St. Martin's University Hospital in Martin (Zilina region) will be completed by 30 June, thereby meeting a fundamental milestone for funding through the Recovery Plan, stated Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) after taking a tour of the construction site on Friday. He was accompanied by Education Minister Tomas Drucker (Voice-SD), who is also serving as acting deputy prime minister for the Recovery Plan and a knowledge-based economy. "We're meeting all milestones and deadlines as we set them, which is a bit of a miracle. I want to recall that when we took over the construction site just under two years ago, this project was deemed unfeasible and impossible to complete on time. We're even moving many times faster than similar projects built by private investors," stressed Sasko. He added that, in light of recent issues during the construction of a hospital in Presov, the project in Martin is focusing specifically on the quality of the construction work. "The technical strength of the concrete, as discussed in another project, was set by the designers at 75 MPa, but all tests have confirmed that we've actually exceeded that level, with the strength of the concrete in columns reaching up to 97 MPa," said Sasko. Drucker praised the rapid pace of the construction of the Martin hospital. "Not only will Slovakia have a new hospital; we won't have to worry about losing a single cent from the Recovery and Resilience Plan. These are tangible results for Slovakia thanks to our membership of the European Union. It allows us to draw such funds and, finally, for the first time in 40 to 50 years, we're able to build new hospitals," said Drucker. The contract for constructing the new Martin hospital with its 660 beds was signed in June 2024. The hospital's shell structure is being financed from the recovery plan and must be completed by 30 June 2026. The construction work is being carried out by a consortium of four contractors led by a company called Adifex. jrg/df