A public procurement contract for linear accelerators for the treatment of oncology patients worth 55.4 million was signed today at the Ministry of Health with suppliers, Siemens/Varian and Elekta Solutions AB. This investment is financed from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NPOO), and a total of 21 linear accelerators are being procured for KBC Zagreb, KBC Osijek, KBC Rijeka, Split, KB Sestre milosrdnice, and the General Hospital in Zadar.
– Today we are achieving a reform milestone in strengthening the public health system and oncology patients. Thanks to the investment of 55.4 million euros secured from the NPOO for the procurement of 21 linear accelerators, the government is making a historic procurement of equipment for the public health system, demonstrating that we are not just words and achieving high-set goals for the benefit of our patients and citizens – said Health Minister Vili Beroš.
As previously reported, Siemens will equip KBC Zagreb, KBC Rijeka, and OB Zadar, while Swedish Elekta will equip KBC Sestre Milosrdnice, KBC Split, and KBC Osijek, which is the result of a long-awaited and coordinated Ministry tender. Deadlines will be aimed to be met with a fair distribution of work, as the Ministry, considering that there are only two global manufacturers who can deliver the required equipment, and whose devices are already present in Croatian hospitals, decided to limit the number of devices that can be assigned to a single supplier to a maximum of 12 out of 21. The Ministry decided on this limitation due to the relatively short time in which the equipment needs to be produced, delivered, and installed, which is conditioned by the NPOO rules. Such a solution has been applied by Greece, Italy, and Spain, which are also financing this procurement from their NPOOs. The entire procurement and installation process must be completed by the end of 2025, which is a short timeframe for a complex process.
