Short description of the overall project

In Ukraine, a country that is heavily reliant on energy imports from abroad, more than 1,000 hospitals with around 430,000 beds are currently among the most energy-intensive public institutions nationwide. Some of these hospitals spend up to 20 per cent of their total budget on energy. The recent sharp increases in energy prices have placed the institutions responsible for running hospitals under significant financial strain and have severely reduced their scope for action. The quality of services provided by the hospitals has suffered as well, due to constraints on their ability to procure vital medical goods and equipment. Additionally, these hospitals are currently not in a position to carry out energy modernisation measures, even those requiring little or no investment.

The project’s objective is to provide measures geared to modernising energy systems in Ukrainian hospitals that will be implemented in an exemplary manner.

Short description of activities financed by the donation

With a view to achieving lasting improvements in energy efficiency at hospitals in Ukraine and given the prevailing conditions, the project proceeds on the basis of three principles:

• Owing to the overall constrained national budgetary situation, the energy rehabilitation strategies will focus on measures that demand low levels of investment, on optimising processes and on bringing about behavioural changes in working procedures at the hospitals.
• Investment funds from sources such as the national budget are to be utilised in a way that results in the highest cost-benefit effect possible. With this in mind, all planned measures are planned in future be subjected to thorough preliminary examination.
• Hospitals are to gain easier access to financing options. The project is planned to support the development of innovative financing strategies, such as energy performance contracting.