It is not news that there is a shortage of pediatricians in Nikšić. It is not news that the facade of the Children's Dispensary building is falling apart, that the inventory is worn out, that the rooms where the youngest patients stay are damp, that the bathrooms are in extremely bad condition. It is not news that the youngest patients have been waiting for better conditions for decades and that, it seems, everyone is more important than them.
It is not news that "Vijesti" has been drawing attention to the catastrophic condition of the Children's Dispensary for more than a decade. Since last year, when at the proposal of the Democrats it was decided that the Dispensary adaptation project will be included in the capital budget for 2024, it is not news that the building that was built way back in 1954 will finally get the clothes it deserves.
The news would be that the adaptation of the building has finally started. But... the youngest, and should be the most important patients, will still have to wait for that news.
"The adaptation project has been submitted to the Ministry of Health, which is currently undergoing detailed analysis and expert comments for compliance with the required standards. The goal of this practice is to ensure high-quality projects that will minimize problems during construction and ensure optimal functionality of the facilities. The first step taken by the ministry is to compare the planned works from the submitted project with the works foreseen in the energy efficiency project (MEEP 2) for DZ Nikšić, which is being carried out, in order to determine that there is no overlapping of the planned works", writes the response of the Ministry of Health to "News". .
"Compatibility with the existing energy efficiency project" was confirmed and now the opinion of the architectural consultant is awaited as to whether the project complies with the standards.
"This practice is part of the Ministry's new initiatives, in order to ensure the quality of each project. The goal is to avoid possible complications during construction, delays or unplanned costs. If the project is evaluated as optimal, the Ministry will forward it to the Directorate for Capital Projects for further processing. Otherwise, it will be sent back for revision in order to ensure its compliance with the set standards", stated the relevant Ministry.
The children's dispensary is managed by the Health Center, which is responsible for the ground floor, where, in addition to the chosen doctor for children and consultation rooms, there is also a Center for children with special needs, and the General Hospital, which is in charge of the facade and the first floor, where the children's department is located. Judging by the condition in which the Dispensary has been for decades, one gets the impression that no one was in charge of it. At least until now.
The adaptation project includes planned works both on the ground floor and in the pediatric department, with a total area of 1.321 square meters, and the value of the works is around 590 thousand euros. On the ground floor, it is planned to partially change the function of the rooms, change the location of the development counseling center, as well as add an ultrasound room within the counseling center, replace complete internal installations, replace all existing sanitary facilities, build new bathrooms according to needs.
On the first floor, as stated by the Ministry of Health, it is planned to partially change the functions of the rooms and add sanitary facilities in all hospital rooms, as well as in the doctor's and nurse's rooms, and replace all internal installations.
"The left part with the hospital rooms is getting a new functional concept, including the removal of glass partitions between the rooms and the parapet walls," reads the Ministry's response.
The layout of the furniture will be coordinated with the investor's requirements and spatial possibilities.
Replacement of facade joinery and facade treatment, renovation and improvement of the building's insulation, as well as improvement of the heating system, are part of the energy efficiency project. The implementation of the second phase of the energy efficiency project (MEEP 2) began on September 1, 2018, and is planned to last until December 31, 2023. Corona moved the deadlines, and the Ministry signed a contract with the company Joint Venture Roaming Montenegro, which will perform work in five health institutions through the Energy Efficiency Program in Montenegro, including the Nikšić General Hospital, at the end of October last year.
"We received approval to change the facade carpentry and restore the facade. A month ago, work began on the main building of the hospital, followed by the children's dispensary and the Department of Psychiatry," Director of the General Hospital Dr. Dušanka Milatović Perović told "Vijesta".
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