PORR will design and build an Integrated Paediatric Centre for the University Clinical Hospital in Wrocław

“The construction of a state-of-the-art Integrated Paediatric Centre is an investment that will bring many tangible benefits. Above all, it will significantly improve the comfort and treatment options for more young patients. In addition, it will allow us to make more effective use of the potential of our highly qualified medical staff and advanced diagnostic facilities which are the strengths of our multi-specialist hospital on Borowska Street”, explains Dr Marcin Drozd, head of the University Clinical Hospital in Wrocław.

The Integrated Paediatric Centre concept - new demographic challenges call for changes in childcare

The ageing of the population, falling birth rates and negative rate of natural increase are a fact. They are, however, accompanied by positive developments such as a decline in infant and child mortality rates and increased life expectancy which require a modern model of care for children, adapted to the new realities. This is exactly what the Integrated Paediatric Centre (IPC) is intended to be. It is much more than just a new building and modern equipment. Above all, it is a new concept of paediatric care which is currently provided in dispersed clinics. This is emphasised by the Rector’s Representative for the construction of the ICP Dr Tomasz Pytrus who adds that the construction of the new centre is not only about moving the clinics currently operating in the historic campus on M. Curie-Skłodowska Street to a facility that offers better conditions.

“Patients treated in the paediatric clinics of the University Clinical Hospital require advanced medical care. They come not only from Lower Silesia but also from other parts of Poland and abroad. They have usually been previously treated in other units and require very specialised diagnostics which are not available anywhere else and, unfortunately, usually expensive treatment. Importantly, therefore, this investment will allow the Hospital to expand its activities into areas that clinical paediatrics in Wrocław has not offered before. These new areas include paediatric interventional cardiology, paediatric neurology and the area of rare diseases which is included in the health policy priorities for Lower Silesia”, explains Dr Tomasz Pytrus, head of the Department of Paediatrics, Gastroenterology and Nutrition at Wrocław’s Hospital. “Diagnosing and treating rare diseases is the future of paediatrics. It is something that requires the collaboration and expertise of specialists from different disciplines in one integrated place. A single location means that consultations and tests can be provided without transporting patients. That means greater efficiency, comfort for patients and obvious savings in the operation of the centres,” he adds.

The new Centre will house all so-called non-surgical specialist departments with the exception of paediatric oncology and haematology which are currently housed in a separate building. In addition to the interdisciplinarity and comprehensiveness of treatment, equally important is its continuity and, above all, the easy transferability of children for treatment to various other, e.g. surgical, centres. The location of the Paediatrics Centre within the structures of the Borowska Street Hospital is therefore the most optimal, also given other already existing units that provide medical services for children in the same place. These include all surgical departments such as Paediatric Surgery and Urology Department, Paediatric Laryngology Department, Paediatric Ophthalmology Department, Paediatric Orthopaedics Department and Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.

The new ICP is being built under the “design and build” formula

The new venture is ambitious not only because of its medical features but also in terms of infrastructure. PORR S.A. specialises in this type of investment - in the tender, it was able to beat four other companies. As a general contractor, it will now have 41 months to design and build the new pavilion at Wrocław’s 213 Borowska Street campus.

According to the plan, the contractor’s first task will be to develop a multi-discipline concept while the construction design, together with an application for planning permission, is expected to be submitted by October 2025. The shell should be ready a year later. Construction is scheduled for completion in June 2028, with the remaining retrofitting expected afterwards. The first patients will be admitted before the end of 2028.

“Investments in health are among the most reliable ones that will benefit each of us in the long term. That is why it is with such great satisfaction that we as PORR commit to another major contract for the construction of Polish medical infrastructure. The Integrated Paediatric Centre, which will be built in Wrocław over a period of 41 months, is a special facility as it is being built for the youngest patients. As a general contractor, we will bear this in mind at every stage of our work, making every effort to ensure that the completed project, and then the building, meet all the expectations”, says Piotr Kledzik, CEO of PORR S.A.

The IPC project would not have been possible without the support of the Ministry of Health.

“The detailed design prepared by an expert team received one of the highest scores in a national competition run by the Medical Fund. As a result, we were able to obtain more than PLN 201 million in funding”, says Dr Marcin Drozd. The cost of the entire investment was estimated at PLN 223 million. However, it is important to bear in mind that the final value of the project may change after the individual tenders, including those for equipment, have been awarded. Therefore, some of the money will have to come from our own funds or be raised from other sources.

The Integrated Paediatric Centre in figures

The IPC will be located at the back of the main University Clinical Hospital building at 213 Borowska Street, adjacent to the Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation, Oncology and Paediatric Haematology. The building will have four floors above ground and one underground. An area of more than 17,000 m2 will accommodate 136 multi-profile beds, dozens of specialist outpatient clinics, diagnostic laboratories and an observation and infection ward. The modern building will also host a school and a leisure area.

The investment involves relocating departments of paediatric endocrinology and metabolic diseases, paediatric gastroenterology, paediatric allergology, paediatric cardiology, paediatric nephrology and paediatric infectious diseases from their existing locations.

“The Integrated Paediatric Centre as a building will be adapted in every detail to the new treatment concept under which a child is to stay in hospital for only as long as is medically necessary,” emphasises Dr Tomasz Pytrus. “An important element of the new unit will be a one-day ward which is in fact going to host over 60 per cent of hospitalisations. An additional advantage of the one-day ward is that its staff can work in shifts and provide more procedures, thus reducing waiting times for many specialised treatments and consultations. Moreover, the IPC will also provide a modern base for teaching paediatrics, which we hope will encourage future Medical University graduates to choose paediatrics as their speciality and reduce the average age of paediatricians which is unfortunately one of the highest in Poland”.

The IPC is all about benefits

The currently dispersed locations of paediatric clinics entail the need to maintain multiple buildings which in addition require constant renovation. It also means the need to duplicate medical equipment and areas necessary for the facilities to function.

“The Integrated Paediatric Centre is the result of years of work to create a state-of-the-art facility that will become the treatment centre for the youngest patients in the region. This project is not only an investment in infrastructure but also in science, development and the future of medical care for children”, concludes Professor Piotr Ponikowski, Rector of the Medical University of Wrocław. “I believe that this project will provide Wrocław with a modern integrated paediatric centre offering comprehensive medical care and access to a wide range of outstanding specialists. The Medical University of Wrocław will thus strengthen its role as a standard-setting institution in the treatment of the youngest patients”.

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