Tallinn is moving forward with plans to create the new Tallinn Hospital medical campus on the limestone plateau in Lasnamäe, which will assume the responsibilities of the East Tallinn Central Hospital (ITK) and West Tallinn Central Hospital (LTK).

"In order to start building the new hospital in 2028, we need a project, and design work takes a long time. Simultaneously, we are working on reaching a concrete financing plan so we'd know how we'll fund the construction once we enter into a design contract. On the other hand, we can also send a clear signal to the existing hospitals in Tallinn about the year the new hospital will be completed," said Mayor Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE).

The estimated cost of the design tender is €19 million. According to Ossinovski, the city has this money available. The total cost of the Tallinn Hospital project is approximately €850 million, which Tallinn cannot cover entirely on its own.

"The state budget situation is common knowledge and far from rosy. My proposal to the state has been not that we want to receive support, but because it is the largest building investment in Estonia, the state will receive €250-300 million in taxes. These tax revenues could be returned to the city of Tallinn, meaning the state budget would not profit from this project. So, we are not asking for separate support. Of course, this is a somewhat unconventional system, and we need to continue these negotiations," explained Ossinovski.

The mayor will meet with the health minister next week, and the financing of Tallinn Hospital is one of the topics to be discussed.

However, Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi (Reform) dismissed the mayor's hope that the state would forgo tax revenue to benefit Tallinn.

"I can immediately say, no. The wealthiest local government should not assume that the state will pay for its structural reform. I can give that answer right away. Economic opportunities are greater in Tallinn than elsewhere in Estonia, and the state's financial capabilities are smaller than those of Tallinn. Tallinn is still a wealthy area. The state does not have this free money, and there are more serious issues in healthcare than concrete," said the finance minister.

According to Ligi, while hospital network restructuring is reasonable, Tallinn must find funding for the new hospital itself, and the state cannot take on this obligation during the current cuts.

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