Modernisation of Svitavy Hospital Has Begun. Completion Is Scheduled for 2030

The second-largest regional investment in healthcare in the region’s history will transform Svitavy Hospital. The project, costing 1.367 billion crowns including tax, will be carried out by a consortium of SYNER and VCES. The comprehensive modernization of the complex is expected to be completed sometime in 2030. A symbolic groundbreaking ceremony took place in the revitalized park near the psychiatry ward and St. Joseph’s Church.

“The modernization of the Svitavy Hospital is a project we’ve been discussing for many years now, spanning several terms of the regional government. The start of construction is clear confirmation that we’ve taken this project seriously all along and have been preparing for it. It makes sense that, after completing the wings with central emergency departments at the Pardubice and Orlickoústecká hospitals, our attention is now turning to the Svitavy Hospital, which truly needs a comprehensive modernization. Upon arriving at the hospital, we see a relatively new entrance pavilion with a recently centralized intensive care unit, but immediately behind this pavilion lies a very outdated inpatient wing dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. “That is why it is essential that we truly bring the hospital’s entire infrastructure into the 21st century,” said Regional Governor Martin Netolický, who oversees the region’s finances. “The entire project was awarded through a competitive bidding process for 1.367 billion crowns. At this point, we are counting only on a partial subsidy from European funds, with the vast majority of the construction to be covered by the regional budget. After all, we have been preparing for this investment for several years. Another advantage in this case is that the construction will be spread out until 2030, meaning it will be spread across several regional budgets,” added Regional Governor Netolický regarding the financing.

“As we begin the modernization of the Svitavy Hospital today, we are not building a hospital for the year 2030, but for the coming decades. We want to create a healthcare facility that will meet current medical standards while remaining flexible enough to respond to the region’s evolving needs. An aging population, changes in the range of care provided, and growing demands for diagnostics will place new demands on district hospitals. Our goal is for Svitavy Hospital to be prepared for these changes and to remain a strong general hospital providing high-quality and accessible care to the region’s residents. In the coming years, we therefore also plan to build an MRI facility here. “However, even now, in parallel with the individual construction phases, we are preparing the equipment for the new facilities—ranging from medical technologies to furniture—at an estimated cost of nearly 300 million crowns,” said Tomáš Gottvald, CEO of the Pardubice Region Hospital.

The entire modernization of the Svitavy Hospital complex will be complex not only from a financial standpoint but also from a construction standpoint. Hospital operations must continue during construction, so the project is divided into several phases. “First, the original emergency medical services building will be demolished, followed by renovations to the existing Pavilion A, which houses, among other things, operating rooms and intensive care units. Next, construction of the new Pavilion C will begin. In the final phase, a new pavilion will be built for the pediatric ward, internal medicine, and surgery,” explained Dušan Salfický, First Deputy Governor for Investments. The project itself is divided into three phases spread over 49 months and includes breaks for commissioning the new facilities and relocating hospital operations. “In every respect, this is a challenging project involving demolition, construction, installation, wiring, and relocation. All of this will take place while the hospital remains open. Therefore, I would like to ask patients, hospital visitors, and above all the staff for their understanding and patience. I am convinced that we will all be rewarded with a modern hospital facility,” said Pavel Štefka, Deputy Governor for Health Care.

“We have several years ahead of us during which we will need to balance extensive construction work with the hospital’s day-to-day operations. This involves not only the construction itself, but also a number of department relocations, changes in operational organization, and adapting to new conditions. On the other hand, we already have experience with similar organizational changes from the recent centralization of intensive care, and I therefore believe that, together with our staff, we will successfully navigate this phase while maintaining safe and high-quality patient care,” said Pavel Kunčák, director of Svitavy Hospital.

The winner of the competitive bidding process for the project contractor was a consortium of VCES a.s. and SYNER, s.r.o. — “VCES–SYNER Consortium for the Construction of Svitavy Hospital.” “On Wednesday, July 1, we will take over the construction site and begin work on Phase 0, which involves the renovation of the utility building and its conversion into a pathology facility, including technical support facilities,” said Jiří Cetkovský, Deputy Production Director at VCES a.s., describing the first phase of the project. “I am convinced that we will successfully apply the experience both of our companies have gained in recent years through the implementation of healthcare projects to the modernization of Svitavy Hospital. This is an exceptionally complex construction project requiring precise coordination, a high level of expertise, and cooperation among all parties involved,” concluded Cetkovský. František Bílek, Deputy Sales Director at SYNER, added: “We look forward to nearly four years of collaboration with the investor’s team. We are fully aware—for example, from our current projects at the hospital centers in Liberec and Jilemnice—of how crucial it is for all stakeholders to work together seamlessly so that everything flows smoothly.”

The modernization of the Svitavy Hospital is, of course, also viewed positively by city officials. “The city has been striving to be an active partner in the project from the very beginning. We are already exploring options to increase parking capacity in the area around the hospital, which will be needed in the future. Together with the hospital’s management, we are also looking for ways to attract new employees. For example, we offer assistance with housing in city-owned apartments or other forms of support that can make it easier for healthcare professionals to decide to work in Svitavy,” said Svitavy Mayor David Šimek.

A New Park Serves Patients and the Public

The ceremonial launch of the Svitavy Hospital modernization project took place in the revitalized park near the psychiatry ward and St. Joseph’s Church. “In its original state, the park was very neglected, so we undertook its restoration to ensure it serves not only the hospital’s patients and visitors but also the general public in the city. The total cost of this project amounted to 20 million crowns,” said Regional Governor Martin Netolický. As part of the investment, paths were restored, flower beds were created, and shrubs and trees were planted. The park also features essential outdoor furniture. At the same time, walls were built to separate the park from both the psychiatric ward and U Stadionu Street.

Summary of the individual phases:

Phase 0 – Facilities for pathology and technical support will be built in the utility building that formerly housed the laundry. As part of this phase, the emergency medical services building will also be demolished.

Stage 1 of Construction / Phase 1 – Renovations in Pavilion A: reconstruction of the existing facilities, including the construction of a reception area and waiting room for the walk-in section of the emergency department. Construction of a new Pavilion C, which will eventually house, for example, the emergency department, the radiology department, and inpatient wards for internal medicine and surgical specialties, as well as recovery rooms, a maternity ward, and an endoscopy unit. Construction of an extension to the transformer station to accommodate a new MDO substation for the entire hospital, and demolition of existing buildings.

Construction Phase 1 / Stage 2 – Continuation of demolition work and the construction of a new Pavilion D, which will house the pediatric department, as well as internal medicine and surgical departments.

The investment project also includes ancillary works, such as roads, sidewalks, paved areas, and the connection and rerouting of medical gases, low-voltage electrical systems, water mains, and sewer networks. The work will also include the connection and rerouting of a district heating pipeline, retention and infiltration structures, electrical distribution systems, site lighting, and landscaping.

Photo: SYNER, s.r.o. archive, svitavy.cz