FN Brno withdrew from the contract for the construction of the maternity hospital due to errors in the documentation

Brno – The Faculty Hospital Brno (FN) has withdrawn from the contract for the construction of a maternity hospital worth more than three billion crowns. A review prior to the commencement of construction work revealed discrepancies in the project documentation and deficiencies in the contractual documents, the hospital stated today in a press release. However, FN Brno still expects to proceed with the construction of the new maternity hospital, which it states could begin in 2027.

The contract for the work was signed with a consortium of companies Hochtief CZ, IMOS Brno, and Metrostav CZ in April. According to the spokesperson for IMOS, Hochtief is communicating with the hospital as the leader of the winning consortium. Hochtief, according to spokesperson Michal Talián, received a unilateral withdrawal from the contract this morning. "We are analyzing the reasons for the withdrawal and will take a stance on it in the coming days,” Talián told ČTK.

The detailed review of the documents was commissioned by the new hospital management. According to them, it revealed significant technical defects in the structural design of the main building. "These are substantial defects concerning the statics of the entire building. Therefore, the project documentation will require major revisions, and it is not possible to continue performance under the contract with the selected contractor," said the hospital's director Vlastimil Vajdák. The review also identified a systematic error in the budget documents, which would make it impossible to transparently measure the completed work, potentially increasing construction costs by hundreds of millions.

The construction was set to begin in June this year, with work expected to be completed three years later. "Our priority remains the safety of the future building, maximum transparency, and cost-effectiveness. Terminating the contract at this stage, when the construction site has not yet been handed over and actual construction work has not started, therefore represents a maximally responsible solution," said Vajdák.

The new building will serve about a third as a maternity hospital, while the other parts will be for the needs of the gynecology and neonatology departments. The building's capacity will not exceed the current capacities of both gynecology-obstetrics facilities at FN Brno, which will relocate there. The hospital plans to allocate 1.5 billion from its own resources for the construction of the pavilion and expects a two billion crown state subsidy. According to FN Brno, the disbursement of the subsidy is currently not at risk.