The Dr Józef Babinski Clinical Hospital in Kraków is preparing for its biggest investment in years. A new pavilion for the Enhanced Security Forensic Psychiatry Unit and the modernisation of two historic buildings for psychiatric treatment of children and adolescents are planned in the historic complex in Kobierzyn. Both projects are important for the development of psychiatric treatment in the region and are part of wider infrastructural changes under national and regional health programmes.
The new building, scheduled to be completed between 2026 and 2029, has been designed by the ITO studio. It will look to blend harmoniously into the existing buildings of the hospital complex. This is under conservation protection. The building will be similar in form to the neighbouring building 5C, with five storeys and almost 4,000 square metres of floor space. It will have space for 70 patients. The project also includes the creation of therapeutic and recreational rooms, visiting rooms, family meeting rooms and vision rooms.
The surroundings of the building will be arranged with the patients’ needs in mind. Recreational spaces will be created, including sports fields, gazebos, outdoor gyms and relaxation areas. The entire project will be carried out using modern construction technologies, complying with current technical and sanitary standards, including regulations on accessibility for people with disabilities. The value of the investment is nearly PLN 50 million, most of which comes from the Medical Fund and the remainder from the budget of the Malopolska Region.
In parallel, the modernisation of two currently unused hospital buildings is planned, which will last from 2025 to 2028. These activities are aimed at developing comprehensive psychiatric care for children and adolescents in Małopolska. The project includes the renovation and adaptation of buildings 3B and 5A, as well as the development of their surroundings for therapeutic, therapeutic and recreational purposes. The entire investment is valued at over PLN 57 million. The main source of funding is the European Regional Development Fund, supplemented by contributions from the voivodeship budget.
The refurbished two-storey building No. 3B will house the Centre for Community Psychological and Psychotherapeutic Care and the Mental Health Centre with a day unit. Rooms for individual and group therapy, teaching rooms, doctors’ and therapists’ offices, sanitary facilities and recreational spaces are planned. The area around the building will be equipped with a playground, gazebo, outdoor gym, arcade equipment, sandpit, teaching boards and play areas.
The single-storey building 5A will be used for a 24-hour psychiatric unit for children and adolescents. The facility will be able to accommodate 35 patients. There will be patient rooms, all with separate bathrooms. The building will also accommodate therapy and teaching rooms, family meeting rooms and specialist offices. The environment will be adapted to the needs of the children, with designated recreational and sensory areas.
The project also includes the purchase of new equipment, tailored to the functions of the various spaces. The modernisation will be implemented in line with the new model of the child and adolescent mental health system, based on a three-tier reference system. All activities are part of the ‘European Funds for Małopolska 2021-2027’ programme, which supports the development of social infrastructure and psychiatric care.
The planned investments will significantly improve the quality of medical services provided at the Babiński Hospital. Thanks to the new and modernised facilities, it will be possible to provide specialist care in conditions that meet contemporary standards of psychiatric treatment, while respecting the needs of patients and the requirements of protecting the historic nature of the hospital complex, most of which was built by 1917.
Source: babinski.pl
Read also: Architecture in Poland | Kraków | Monument | Education | Health | Renovation
Babinski Hospital now and after the construction of the new building. Photo: Google Earth and ITO
