The Slovenia Times

UKC Ljubljana reports EUR 9.3 million shortfall for 2021

Health & Medicine

Ljubljana - Slovenia's largest medical centre, UKC Ljubljana, generated a shortfall of EUR 9.3 million last year. Given the Covid-19-related constraints and increase in costs, director-general Jože Golobič assessed the performance as successful.

According to a press release issued by UKC Ljubljana, the excess of expenditure over revenue was due to higher costs of material (+16.3%), reflecting growth in prices on global markets, higher cost of services (+11.8%), higher labour costs, also due to care staff replacements, and higher security costs.

UKC Ljubljana treated 113,254 patients in its hospitals last year, 8.8% more than in 2020 but 4.9% fewer than planned for 2021. A total of 87,360 patients were handled in out-patient surgeries, which is 5.8% more than in 2020 but 8.9% fewer than planned.

"I find the performance in the second half of the year successful considering all the constraints on the programme due to the Covid-19 epidemic on the one hand and the sharp increase in the cost of medical and other materials on the global market on the other," Golobič was quoted as saying in the release.

He noted that UKC Ljubljana bore the greatest burden of treatment of patients with and without Covid-19.

The challenges this year include how to properly evaluate higher costs in the price of services and how to ensure positive bottom line given the epidemic and investment plans.

Major investments this year and the next include refurbishment and energy upgrade of several UKC Ljubljana departments; a new building of the Department of Infectious Diseases is slated for completion in 2026.

The nursing hospital's renovation is under way as are preparations for the renovation of the UKC Ljubljana's main wing, with several more investments planned. The bulk of the money will come from EU funds.

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