In Opava, two facilities caring for seniors will be established

Opava - In Opava, two new facilities for seniors are set to be established in the coming years. One will be built from scratch by the city, which is currently looking for a suitable architectural design. The other will be developed by a private individual in the area of the abandoned maternity hospital. This was stated today by Lada Dobrovolná, spokesperson for the Opava city council, noting that the sale of the property still requires the approval of the city council.
    The city has been seeking a buyer for the maternity hospital and the surrounding land since last September. By the end of November, only one applicant had come forward. "Nevertheless, we decided to accept this offer," said Deputy Mayor Pavla Brady. According to her, the main reason was the future use of the building. "The applicant intends to build a senior home in this area. This is exactly what the vast majority of Opava residents envisioned," she stated.
    The city acquired the former maternity hospital building from the Moravian-Silesian Region in 2008. It was already in poor technical condition at that time. The building had been unused for an extended period, and the city did not have the necessary funds for its reconstruction. The new owner is expected to purchase the former maternity hospital for more than 20 million crowns. The council has already decided on the sale; it still needs to be approved by the city council.
    Originally, the city itself intended to establish a facility for seniors in the former maternity hospital. However, that plan was eventually abandoned, and the city opted for new construction. "From an economic perspective, renovating the old building would be too disadvantageous for us. It will be cheaper to build a new facility," added Brady. The new pension will be built in the Kateřinky district and should be managed by the city's contribution organization, Senior Center, which currently provides accommodation for 166 retirees.
    "We have already announced an architectural competition. We are looking for the future appearance of the building," said the spokesperson. The city expects that a facility for wealthier clients will be established in the maternity hospital building. The pension run by the city organization would then provide care for seniors who cannot afford expensive services.
    Another reason is the insufficient capacity of the current Senior Center. "The current capacity of our center is inadequate. We maintain a waiting list, which consistently has 300 interested parties. Each year we can only provide accommodation for 12 of them," Radim Křupala, director of the Senior Center, previously told ČTK.