Kõlvart said: "The construction of Tallinn Hospital, together with the necessary medical equipment, will cost at least €520 million, which will not be covered by the recovery facility's €280 million plus the €100 million budgeted for by Tallinn to date."

"It would not be right or fair if the entire burden of building the hospital falls on the residents of Tallinn, as at least 50 percent of Tallinn Hospital's estimated patient numbers will come from outside Tallinn," Kõlvart added.

The European Commission on Sunday gave its approval in principle to Estonia's plan for the use of funding under the European Resilience and Recovery Facility.

Health minister Tanel Kiik (Center) also said that the state would need to pitch in.

He said: I consider it essential that the state also find additional funds in the coming years to support this major project."

The design of the new hospital takes full account of the needs of contemporary infection control, increases the number of hospital beds, enables better use of our limited medical staff and thus brings with it significant progress to health care in all of Estonia, Kiik, whose ministry set the €520-million price-tag, added.

At present, Tallinn is served by three major hospitals and smaller facilities. The planned hospital would be located close to the Song Festival Grounds (Lauluväljak) and would take on many of the functions currently carried out by the East Tallinn (ITKH) and West Tallinn (LTKH) central hospitals.

Construction is scheduled to start in 2023 for a 2027 completion date. City and state signed a deal on the hospital in February 2019.

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