EBRD mulls 12 mln euro loan for energy efficiency at Montenegrin hospitals

"The Project will improve energy performance and environmental sustainability of the renovated hospitals, improve damaged structures and air quality, as well as comfort level, which are very important for buildings of this nature," the EBRD said in a statement on Tuesday.

The project will also contribute to the reduction of green house gas emissions and energy consumption, yielding electricity and heating savings at the Clinical Centre of Montenegro in Podgorica, which is the largest and most important hospital in the country, and at the hospitals in the northeastern town of Bijelo Polje and in the former royal capital Cetinje, the statement read.

The total amount of the project is 15 million euro.

Once approved, the EBRD loan will be extended to the health ministry, which manages the three hospitals.

The lender noted that the Montenegrin budget has earmarked 430 million euro for the routine operations of the public health system in 2024.

In 2023, the health ministry together with the State Health Insurance Fund had an operational budget of 391 million euro, or 16% of the country's total expenditure.

($ = 0.920 euro)