The project for building the National Multidisciplinary Children’s Hospital has once again become the focus of political confrontation, jeopardising one of the most important priorities in child healthcare in Bulgaria. The National Network for Children (NNC) is following the development of the project with great attention and concern – because any speculation, manipulation or uncertainty surrounding the hospital’s construction moves children further away from the quality, modern and comprehensive care they urgently need.
What do we know so far?
The need for the hospital is undeniable. For years, all specialists and civil society organisations have been calling for the creation of a single, well-equipped, multidisciplinary child health centre – a project Bulgaria has been waiting for more than 40 years.
The estimated cost is not “gold-plated” but the result of international expertise. It is based on a detailed costing of the hospital’s structure, functions and equipment. According to the international consortium, the estimated cost is €382 million excluding VAT (about €458 million including VAT). This covers all expenses – construction, equipment, furnishing, design, supervision and project management.
The prices are averaged according to European standards, but the calculations are not final and need to be adapted to Bulgarian conditions. They are derived from an analysis by international consultants engaged by the European Investment Bank. The figure of €4,000 per sq.m applies only to facilities with special requirements, such as surgical theatres, intensive care units and neonatology departments. Some of the equipment will likely be transferred from existing clinics, reducing costs.
The Public Council has never forecast a budget for the hospital – that is neither its role nor expertise. Instead, the Council has consistently called for better process management and transparency.
The comparison with “100 million leva” is misleading. That sum was set in 2018 for completing an old structure at the Aleksandrovska Hospital – with half the planned floor space and no provision for equipment. That project was heavily criticised and later abandoned.
The real risks for the project are not in the cost, but in the tight deadlines and lack of accompanying policies. The Public Council stresses that the greatest dangers are the short design timeframe and the absence of reforms in child healthcare – especially regarding staffing and sustainable funding.
This project must not be used as a tool for political confrontation. We are firm – the Children’s Hospital must be built with full transparency, with public guarantees for quality and accountability, and without being subjected to sudden budget revisions or political attacks.
Building the National Children’s Hospital is a matter of human dignity and institutional integrity. It is not just a construction site – it is an investment in every child’s right in Bulgaria to receive adequate and timely care, regardless of where they live.
To pit an expert forecast against outdated, underdeveloped projects is to speculate with children’s health. To use the issue as a budget intrigue is to distort society’s priorities.
The NNC calls for the planning and design of the hospital to be as transparent as possible, and for the Ministry of Health to present clear calculations adapted to Bulgarian conditions. At the same time, accompanying policies must be implemented to ensure sufficient specialists and sustainable funding. It is also crucial that the public is not misled by out-of-context figures that create false perceptions and distract from the real challenges.
A real hospital, built with care, reason and sustainability – no worse than the best in Europe. Bulgarian children deserve it.
The topic has also been raised in numerous media appearances by civil society representatives. Maria Brestnichka from the National Network for Children, a member of the Public Council for the construction of the NCH, highlighted key aspects of the expert analysis in a report on bTV – watch here. In an interview for NOVA, Nadezhda Tsekulova from the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, also a member of the Public Council for the NCH, stressed the need for political will and public responsibility – watch the report here.
