The establishment of the field hospital was approved by the government last October, and Bulovka was entrusted with its administration and security.
“In the matter of reimbursement of costs associated with the field hospital operation in Letňany, we have unfortunately received a negative opinion from the Ministry of Finance. In cooperation with the Ministry of Health, we are now considering the next steps. We still believe that together we will find a way out of the situation and thus avoid further indebtedness of the hospital, which was clearly the busiest in the whole Czech Republic during the pandemic,” said the head of Bulovka, Jan Kvaček, through the hospital’s spokesperson Simona Krautová.
The Health Ministry, under which the hospital falls, said at the time that the money would be returned to Bulovka from the Finance Ministry. However, the Ministry of Finance has refused to pay for the field hospital, which has never treated a single patient.
The Ministry of Health is seeking to have the money returned to the hospital. “Minister Vojtěch is now familiarising himself with the actions of the previous ministers in this matter. He has requested all information and materials and is ready to address the matter and find a solution so that the hospital’s expenses are covered,” health ministry spokeswoman Gabriela Štěpanyová wrote to Novosti.
The field hospital in Letňany stood until February this year with the purpose to provide additional beds for patients. At the time, there was a growing risk of overcrowding in domestic hospitals as more and more patients with covid-19 needed specialized care.
During the entire period of operation, Bulovka paid almost CZK 90 million on behalf of the Ministry of Health, of which CZK 74 million was for the lease of the premises from billionaire Pavel Sehnal’s ABF company. Another 14 million was spent on energy, equipment, material purchases and other related items.