Ministry of Health to oversee first phase of reconstruction of regional children's hospital in Mykolaiv: project will last two years

The Mykolaiv Regional Council has unanimously supported the project of the first stage of reconstruction of the regional children's clinical hospital, under which the Ministry of Health will be responsible for selecting a contractor and monitoring the construction.

This became known today, 20 November, at the 32nd extraordinary session of the regional council of the eighth convocation, according to NikVesti.

Iryna Tkachenko, acting head of the Health Department of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, said the project would last two years.

«The health department has prepared a project for the reconstruction of the regional children's clinical hospital, namely, the first stage — the outpatient department, which is being implemented as part of the project «Strengthening the healthcare system and saving lives Heal Ukraine». Within the framework of this project, the Ministry of Health, as the main representative implementing this project, has a partial function of selecting a contractor to carry out these works. In fact, the funds for which this project will be implemented are from the World Bank. Therefore, I would like to ask you to support this project as part of the Ministry of Health's customer function. The project will last for two years. As part of this project, the property remains with the regional council,» she said.

In his turn, Anton Tabunschyk, Head of the Mykolaiv Regional Council, added that some of the functions of the construction client, including control and selection of the contractor, are assigned to the Ministry of Health in accordance with the World Bank's requirements.

«The relevant issue is the main one at this unscheduled meeting of the session and is related to the attraction of funds from the World Bank. One of the requirements of the World Bank is that the Ministry of Health shall be responsible for some of the functions of the construction employer, including the selection of the contractor and payment under the relevant contract, as well as the selection of the company that will carry out technical supervision of the construction. Other functions of the construction customer are defined by the current legislation and are assigned to the municipal enterprise of the Directorate for Capital Construction and Reconstruction of the Mykolaiv Regional Council,» explained Anton Tabunschyk.

The project was supported unanimously: 46 «for».

Regional children's hospital in Mykolaiv

In July 2023, during his visit to Mykolaiv, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the regional children's hospital. At that time, he criticised the condition of the wards in the medical institution. While in one of the wards, Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the room was not adapted for a comfortable stay. In particular, there were no curtain rods, curtains, or air conditioning in the ward. Following President Zelenskyy's criticism of the condition of the wards at the Mykolaiv Regional Children's Hospital, the institution began renovating the surgical department and installed air conditioning in eight wards.

A few months later, the offices and residences of Oleksandr Plitkin, the chief medical officer of the Mykolaiv Regional Children's Clinical Hospital, and his deputy, Iryna Tkachenko, were searched as part of a criminal investigation into the misappropriation, embezzlement or acquisition of property through abuse of office. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing under another article: forgery of official documents that caused grave consequences.

Four days after the searches, the deputy head of the Mykolaiv regional military administration for medicine, Yurii Hranaturov, said that he was unaware of the situation. And Oleksandr Plitkin himself said that dirt had been thrown on him, and the police «were telling something ephemeral».

At the same time, the permanent deputy commission of the Mykolaiv Regional Council on social policy and healthcare refused to consider and knew from the agenda the draft decision to appoint Oleksandr Plitkin as director of the KNP «Mykolaiv Regional Children's Clinical Hospital».

Mykolaiv Regional Administration plans to spend almost ₴615 million on reconstruction of the regional children's hospital

In April 2025, it became known that the Mykolaiv Regional Children's Clinical Hospital «plans to spend 614.8 million hryvnias on the reconstruction of the MNE». The contractor is the Department of Urban Development, Architecture, Capital Construction and Support of Development Projects of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration.

In particular, it is planned to modernise the K-3 surgical building as part of the fourth stage of construction. Dismantling and excavation works are to be carried out in the building. The contractor will then carry out general construction works, install windows and doors, and carry out interior finishing. This includes insulation and finishing of the facade and roof.

In addition, surgical equipment is to be installed, installation work is to be carried out and the basement is to be equipped.