Reinforcements arrived: Kazan commissioning a military hospital

Kazan Military Hospital is coming to light

The construction of the complex of buildings of the Kazan Military Hospital of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, designed primarily for the treatment and rehabilitation of military personnel, including those participating in the special military operation in Ukraine, has been completed in Kazan. The new military medical centre with an area of 1,3 hectares was built in close proximity to the Children's Republican Clinical Hospital, thereby closing a large “healthcare quarter” along the Orenburg Tract in the south of Kazan. It is impossible not to notice the military hospital complex with a capacity of 150 beds (by the way, this is the standard capacity for these institutions). The ensemble of three articulated buildings in gray-white cladding is distinguished by the military heraldic sign of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. The image of the double-headed eagle with outstretched wings and the red shield on its chest rises on the facade of the central building of the hospital. Next to it, the name itself is put in large letters — “Military Hospital of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation”.

The sign with the official name of the medical institution has not yet been installed. Therefore, it remains unclear whether it will work as the Kazan branch of FSBI "426 VG” or will receive some other status. But the emblem with the simple name is clearly visible when driving along the busy highway of the Orenburg tract in the direction of Ferma-2. If you drive across, you can see the main entrance group, decorated in the same style of the Ministry of Defence. A checkpoint with a barrier is installed at the entrance — like near an ordinary military unit. In a word, the upcoming opening of the military hospital has already ceased to be a secret for Kazan residents.

Roads from the military

Residents of the surrounding houses noticed an interesting moment in the landscaping of the territory. New high-quality roads were laid around the hospital, although entry into it is possible only from the checkpoint, and theoretically, it was possible to limit the laying of one road across the Orenburg Tract.

“These roads were laid only in winter," a resident of the nearest new building told Realnoe Vremya. “Probably, they distinguish the military object from the environment. But now one can drive not over potholes, but on a flat asphalt surface.

But the protective measures for the protection of the object do not end there. As expected, the hospital is completely fenced, but not with concrete slabs, but with a completely civilised metal lattice with spires about 2-3 metres high. One can see how these days the workers are completing their painting in black. Inside, the territory of the hospital is under surveillance cameras, and information about what is happening is sent to the remote control of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation.

Building ahead of schedule

The construction of the military hospital is now perceived as a sign of the times, but in fact, it was laid long before the start of the special military operation in Ukraine. Initially, the project was to restore the hospital disbanded in 2012 in the centre of Kazan on N. Ershov St., whose historical buildings were transferred to the Kazan University.

Let us remind that the grand ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the hospital was held a year ago with the participation of Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov. It was assumed that the complex would be built in two stages.

“I hope, and to be more precise, I am sure that in July next year, 2022, the first stage will be opened here and by the end of the year in December, the hospital will be fully commissioned," the head of the Russian defence ministry planned then.

In fact, Kazan builders managed to build the object six months ahead of schedule. The director general of Ak Tash, Gazinur Akhmetov, confirmed to Realnoe Vremya that the military hospital is fully ready for commissioning.

“All facilities have been built, imported medical equipment has been installed," he said. According to him, the construction was carried out around the clock, the maximum amount of construction equipment was directed to work. “Technically, the hospital is ready, but formally the commissioning procedure will take place in another six months, probably," the source explained.

The cost of the facility was not disclosed, but the head of the ministry of healthcare of the Republic of Tatarstan called a year ago a figure of 3 billion rubles.

A sketch with the layout of the future facilities of the Kazan Military Hospital has been published in the media more than once, and the construction process itself was demonstrated in a short video on the personal page in the Instagram account of the president of the Republic of Tatarstan. If we compare, we can see that the builders built exactly as in the layout.

Now the final works are underway at the hospital: the builders know that on August 30 Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu is arriving to accept the object, to whom they are preparing to hand over symbolic keys.

An “outsider” from Samara

Lieutenant Colonel of the medical service Damir Izhberdeev, who has many awards, has been appointed head of the Kazan Military Hospital. Prior to that, he headed the Samara branch No. 2 of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "426 Military Hospital of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation”, which employs 250 medical workers. According to sources of Realnoe Vremya, Damir Izhberdeev was appointed in mid-June. For the first time he was presented to the professional community at the annual competition “Doctor of the Year — Ak chechekler”. Currently, he continues to hire medical staff. He declined to comment on the completion of the construction. We should add that the Ministry of Healthcare of the Republic of Tatarstan does not force doctors to go to the front, the trade union of medical workers of the Republic of Tatarstan told. They have no data on those who could voluntarily go to Ukraine.

Plus 250 beds in the infirmary

The military hospital will function as a multidisciplinary medical facility. The central diagnostic building will house a polyclinic for 250 visits per shift, as well as diagnostic rooms. On both sides, a medical building with 250-bed wards and an administrative and economic building (both with four floors) are “attached” to it by internal passages. Theoretically, they can be repurposed. Earlier, it was also reported that a surgery block with resuscitation and anesthesiology will be designed in the medical building, where emergency and planned surgical interventions can be performed. The emergency room, as well as the infectious diseases department, have been moved to separate buildings.

Before the start of the military special operation in Ukraine, it was reported that 30 multifunctional medical centres and infectious diseases buildings for more than 3 thousand places had been built in the country “in record time”. At the end of March, the Russian Defence Ministry called the losses during the special operation in Ukraine: 1,351 Russian servicemen were killed, 3,825 people were wounded (data for March 25, others were not announced later).

However, the main purpose of Shoigu's working visit will be a visit to defence industry enterprises on the execution of the state defence order of the Russian Federation. This will be a continuation of his trip to the regions. Prior to that, the head of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation had visited Tula Oblast and the Urals.