Estonia. Tartu University Hospital Foundation

The loan has been granted to finance the modernisation of Tartu University Hospital in Estonia.

The project consists of constructing two new buildings for the children’s clinic, otorhinolaryngology (ear-nose-throat) clinic and day surgery operations.

This is the third phase of the modernisation project at the hospital. The project work started in 2018 and the construction is planned to be finalized during 2022. Phase II was also co-financed by NIB and was completed in 2015.

Tartu University Hospital (TUH) is the largest medical facility in Estonia and the only service provider in several medical specialties and treatments in the country. It is part of the TUH group, which also includes three local hospitals in South Estonia and an ambulance service in Tartu. In 2018, the consolidated TUH group was responsible for 611,000 outpatient treatment cases.

Tartu University Hospital is part of the strategic Hospital Network, which is the backbone of Estonia’s specialised medical care services, providing both in- and out-patient care, as well as emergency care services. The pre-graduate training of doctors and other medical staff as well as post-graduate in-service training and medical research are also carried out in the hospital.

The new buildings will help to move the paediatrics and otorhinolaryngology units into the core hospital. Currently, both of these specialties are disconnected from the main facilities and located in buildings that are obsolete and no longer suitable for modern acute care.

The centralization of operations and synergies with other disciplines are expected to bring efficiency improvements. Moreover, it will increase the operational efficiency of the laboratory, as there will be no need to transport the samples between various units of the hospital.

Given that certain treatments, which will be strengthened by the project, are only available in Tartu University Hospital, the project will benefit healthcare in the whole country.

Like most of the countries in the region, Estonia is facing challenges related to ageing. The quality of healthcare infrastructure will therefore be of vital importance in the upcoming decades.

No significant sustainability issues have been identified in relation to the project. Tartu University Hospital Foundation has an Environmental Policy and Environmental Management system based on EMAS requirements.