This is the first step towards this hospital awaited by all the inhabitants of Haute-Corse. The Bastia Municipal Council unanimously validated on Thursday, September 5, the declaration of public utility (DUP) for the creation of the future hospital. This new establishment, which will eventually replace the current Bastia hospital, will not be built for about ten years.
Mastering the land
Concretely, the declaration of public utility aims to help the public hospital establishment to completely control the land of the Labretto site on which the future structure will be installed. This land will be used for the construction of the hospital, but also to accommodate the equipment and housing necessary for its operation. The report produced by the town hall reviews the reasons in favor of the construction of this new hospital; built in 1977, the current Bastia hospital provides 60% of the island’s healthcare provision. However, as Mayor Pierre Savelli points out, ” Already in 1996, the hospital was considered too small for the 150,000 inhabitants who made up the agglomeration. Today, the population basin that depends on this hospital is 200,000 inhabitants, so it is even more undersized. ” This is why the construction of a new structure was preferred over a renovation of the existing building, which was considered too dilapidated and not suitable for optimal care.
The Labretto land offers undeniable advantages, such as its location near the main traffic routes (territorial road, departmental road and near the future Bastia – Furiani territorial road) and its areas free of any construction. It is with this in mind that the municipality wishes to acquire 15.6 hectares, made up of 23 plots belonging to private owners and one plot belonging to the Bastia Urban Community. The acquisition of these plots will initially take place during an amicable negotiation and then, as a last resort if no common ground can be found, by expropriation of the owners. According to the provisional estimate made by the town hall, the acquisition of the plots would amount to €6,552,367.60, not including any possible rehabilitations.
An unknown around the budget
If the land purchase remains on track with respect to the announced budget, uncertainties remain. The envelope of 66 million euros, which was validated by the Ministry of Health last July, is not certain to be maintained. This is also the warning made by opposition elected official Julien Morganti who, although he approves of the project, asks the majority to obtain ” firm commitments on the financial aspect with the new government “, because in view of the national context, ” There may be doubts and fears about maintaining the budget “Finally, despite all the questions raised by this new establishment, such as the maintenance of the current hospital, its services and its staff, elected officials, like Philippe Peretti, ” are well aware of the decisive act that has just been carried out » with this DUP.
