Croatia: EIB Advisory continues to improve quality of public healthcare by supporting Rijeka General Hospital

• EIB Advisory supports Rijeka General Hospital in preparing the third stage of its relocation, a major project that will improve healthcare in Croatia.
• Rijeka’s relocation will enhance the quality of healthcare for the 600 000 people living in the region, which is also a major centre of tourism in Croatia.
• EIB Advisory helped in the planning, preliminary design and development of a comprehensive feasibility study for the third stage of the project.
• EIB Advisory provided similar support in stages one and two, helping the hospital attract EU grants and EIB financing for the relocation.

The European Investment Bank (EIB), the bank of the European Union, will provide Rijeka General Hospital (Kliničko-bolnički centar Rijeka, or KBC Rijeka) with advisory services to help it prepare for the third and final stage of its relocation project to a new campus in Sušak. EIB Advisory supported KBC Rijeka in developing the preliminary designs and feasibility study, which are vital for its relocation project.

Through the European Investment Advisory Hub, EIB Advisory has been supporting the relocation of KBC Rijeka since 2019. The EIB has advised on the organisational plans, services, equipment and capacity planning, and the best use of the hospital buildings.

EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwińska, who is in charge of operations in Croatia, said: “I am very happy to see this complex relocation project entering its final stage and I am glad to see the various advisory services provided by the EIB help to ensure its quick and efficient implementation. This project demonstrates very clearly the wide range of services the EIB can provide to support regional development projects in Croatia. Hopefully, this project will inspire other cities and regions in the country to reach out to the EIB and benefit from our full range of support.”

EIB Vice-President Lilyana Pavlova, who is in charge of advisory services at the EIB, said: “I am glad to see that our advisory services are delivering long-term support to such an important project for the city of Rijeka and Croatia, which will positively impact the lives and healthcare services of thousands of citizens. The EIB, as the main advisory partner under InvestEU, stands ready to support local authorities in their ambitious sustainable development objectives.”

prim. Željko Plazonić, MD, State Secretary in the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Croatia and Chairman of the Steering committee for the preparation of the feasibility study and conceptual design said: "I welcome the continued support of the EIB for the third phase of the KBC Rijeka relocation project. The EIB advisory team helped prepare the study, along with representatives of KBC Rijeka and the Ministry of Health. The study took into consideration the needs of hospital staff and patients and was key to prepare a sound investment project, based on the specificities of our health system and European best practice."

prof. dr. sc. Alen Ružić, dr. med. Director of KBC Rijeka, said: “Continuing the implementation of a huge and exceptionally strategic development project, such as the relocation of the entire hospital in Rijeka to a single location, presents challenges  and requires dedication. We are grateful for the support of the Republic of Croatia and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and the added value of EIB advisory experts. I am confident this project will be a success, thanks to our joint efforts. The work started in 2020 provided us with a conceptual solution that ensures the relocation of all services of our hospital in one place. This will improve the comfort of our patients and the quality of our healthcare services for the citizens of Rijeka, Istria, Lika-Senjska and of course Primorje-Gorski Kotar counties."

Relocation to improve quality of healthcare and education of future doctors

As part of its ambitious modernisation project, KBC Rijeka is working to relocate its wards and clinics, currently scattered across three different locations, into a single site. The relocation will allow KBC Rijeka to improve the efficiency and quality of healthcare services for the 600 000 people living in the area, while increasing patient and staff comfort.

The relocation plan also includes the construction of a modern hospital campus, with state-of-the-art equipment and clinical teaching and research facilities for the city’s Faculty of Medicine. 

In addition to providing advisory services for the relocation project, the EIB also invested €50 million in 2019 for the construction of the campus.

About the European Investment Advisory Hub

The European Investment Advisory Hub (EIAH) is a partnership between the European Investment Bank Group and the European Commission under the Investment Plan for Europe. The Hub is designed to act as a single access point to various types of advisory and technical assistance services. It supports the identification, preparation and development of investment projects across the European Union. Building on the success of the Hub and other advisory programmes, the EIB and the European Commission agreed to provide technical, financial and strategic expertise to project promoters, regional and national authorities, and financial intermediaries under the InvestEU Advisory Hub.