€ 50 million invested: ÉpiCURA adapts the Ath hospital to its times

In addition to spacious consultation rooms and state-of-the-art audiovisual meeting rooms, the new building

it also hosts the new dialysis service which is one of the most important in the region.

Operational area

ÉpiCURA also made other investments on the Athois site. Here is what has already been done recently.

We report the commissioning of two new operating rooms in December 2020: “By exploiting the latest technologies (ventilation, imaging, IT, etc.), these infrastructures make it possible to increase the operational capacity of the Ath site, to develop the surgical activity that can be performed in a day hospital regime and to meet the demand in terms of surgical procedures “.

A new car park was finally opened last spring. “With a capacity of 136 places, it considerably facilitates the parking of patients and their relatives around the Ath hospital. It also has PMR spaces positioned at the level of the roundabout, on the asphalted part. Elsewhere, the new parking offers shelter for twenty bicycles. and a terminal for charging electric bicycles. These facilities therefore encourage the use of soft mobility, an important goal of EpiCURA’s sustainable development policy. “

The hospital is also looking to the future. “Currently the reconditioning of the operational area continues with the renovation of the four existing rooms of the operational block. This project will be completed at the beginning of 2023. The architectural renewal and modernization of the Ath site will then continue with the renovation of the care unit. , reception and obstetric unit “.

All units renovated

“What was done on Tuesday is an important step” underlines François Burhin, managing director. “The first project concerned the expansion of operating theaters, but was linked to an old (federal) hospital modernization program; it has gone from four to six operating rooms. Now, as part of the infrastructure modernization program, the one accepted in 2019, ÉpiCURA enters a program (Crescendo) that covers 160 million euros, of which about 50 million euros of investments for Ath. various elements: the new wing is inaugurated, the modernization of the four existing operating theaters; parking.”

“The next project is that of the old dialysis rooms that will be refurbished to accommodate the day hospital. Eventually, all the care units, on all floors, will be refurbished two by two, with a project whose duration is estimated. in three years.

A hospital to adapt to its times

“There is therefore still some work to be done before the hospital is completely redesigned, but this reconditioning operation of the units is necessary because the hospital envelope is from 1979” continues Mr. Burhin. “It is a structure that was built 42 years ago and designed fifty years ago. We did not conceive medicine as it is today. They are care units with forty places; today, the norm, c There is a maximum of thirty places, ce there are more single rooms, there are showers in the rooms, etc. The level of comfort must therefore increase, as well as the air circulation, for example., in relation to the new needs, for the rooms dedicated to consulting that today must be better equipped than in the past ».

Inauguration at 100,000 euros

In front of several dozen people, the inaugural “Sounds and Lights” show was punctuated by fireworks on Tuesday evening. But it was also targeted by critics.

This event contrasted with current budgetary concerns related to inflation. On Monday morning, the administrative staff also expressed their concern before being reassured.

“The Management specifies that the budget of 100,000 euros foreseen for the inauguration of the Athois building is partly absorbed by the sponsors” The communication unit of EpiCURA told us this on Tuesday. The sponsor in question? Minerals.

“The show is to be considered as a gift for everyone, a privileged moment despite the difficult economic context. Furthermore, events of this type in the Athois area are very rare; this inauguration has been planned for some time and is necessary to mark this stage. fundamental in the development of EpiCURA. Furthermore, the new building was designed taking into account the current energy needs. “

“Scoring a bit and celebrating a bit in this dark period, that’s nice too” added François Burhin again on Tuesday evening. “The staff have given a lot in recent years; we haven’t had a party for the end of Covid, but the staff need to let go of the valve from time to time …”.