Oncology Institute Brno wants to start the renovation of Bakeš Pavilion this year

visualization: Burian Křivinka Architects

Brno - The Masaryk Oncology Institute in Brno wants to start a complete reconstruction of the Bakeš Pavilion this year for approximately a quarter of a billion crowns. Zuzana Joukalová, the institute's spokesperson, said this today to ČTK. The building, dating from 1916, is already in poor condition. The work should be completed by 2020. The state is expected to provide 170 million crowns, while the rest will be paid by the institute.

The Bakeš Pavilion is over 100 years old, and its annex was built in the 1960s. "We are ready for the reconstruction. We have moved everything from the main building to the wing. The outpatient clinics are cleared. First, we will address the main building. Once that is finished, we will move everything needed there and demolish the annex," Joukalová stated.

According to her, the institute is now waiting for the approval of the tender documentation for selecting a contractor. "The matter is with the Ministry of Health. We are waiting for the funds that were approved by the former Chamber of Deputies. For this year, it was 80 million and for next year, 90 million," Joukalová informed. Estimated total costs are around a quarter of a billion crowns, but a public competition for the contractor could reduce the costs.

After the reconstruction, the Bakeš Pavilion will still house departments for comprehensive oncology care and surgical oncology. There should also be operating rooms, which have functioned there in the past, but due to their poor condition, the institute has not been able to use them for many years. Thanks to the operating rooms, space in the current Švejd Pavilion would be freed up to expand the chemotherapy unit. "We are trying to treat patients on an outpatient basis, so they can also receive chemotherapy on an outpatient basis. However, we need more chairs than we have," Joukalová explained.

The Masaryk Oncology Institute is the largest oncology center in the country. Unlike other centers, it is not part of any hospital. It hospitalizes around 10,000 patients annually with 220 beds and treats 200,000 people in outpatient clinics. The institute's annual budget is around 1.5 billion crowns.