Leading experts from all over the world discussed the methods of creating a hospital of the future in Tatarstan

What is the hospital of the future like, the one capable of bringing the field of the healthcare to a new level and facilitating the preservation of the health and promotion of the longevity of the people? The question was discussed in Kazan by leading experts from Europe, USA, South America, and Russia at the XIII Scientific and Applied Conference “Modern Engineering Systems. Architecture of Health (MES-2019)”.

MES is the only Russian conference for the design and construction of the medical infrastructure. The conference has become an interaction platform for more than 400 specialists in the architecture, design, construction, IT in the field of the healthcare.

The event was organized by the Tatarstan Investment Development Agency, the Ministry of Construction, Architecture, Housing and Communal Services of Tatarstan, the Ministry of Healthcare of Tatarstan, the State-owned Autonomous Healthcare Institution Inter-regional Clinical Diagnostic Center, and the Kazan State University of Architecture and Engineering.

“This unique platform enables us to select the solutions that are necessary today for developers, designers, constructors finance managers, government and business managers, а также тех, and those involved in the equipment provision. Therefore, we hold the conference along with the international experts, which opens new opportunities for our country,” shared Taliya Minullina, the Head of the Tatarstan Investment Development Agency.

The best global practices were reviewed at the conference. The experts shared their vision of what is the base in the design and construction of medical institutions. Thus, a designer from the USA Debra Levin disclosed her principle: “Cause no harm to the nature and the human”. An architect Cynthia McCullough highlighted a success of combining the artificial and the human intellect. An expert from the Netherlands Hans van Dijk thinks that it is not worth dumping big buildings in favor of compact network clinics. In the opinion of a French architect Alain Negre, all services should be automated in a comfortable hospital. A Colombian designer Eugenia Concha implements a theory in practice that the national lighting and the nature itself facilitate the quicker recovery and eradicate the risk of medical complications. A Moscow-based neurologist Vasily Generalov is also certain that the design cures.

Considering the prospects of implementing the projects for creating the hospitals of the future, Taliya Minullina noted that the main thing is the anticipation.

“We implement projects in the pharmaceutics, in providing the medical equipment, which is a very good market for our country. When we speak of the service provision, of the hospitals of the future in general, I would draw the attention to the fact that direct foreign investments in the healthcare account for a small share in Russia. Taking the above into account, a critical limitation from the point of view of budget-sponsored projects is a lack of funds, a system of the public procurements. Moreover, when an investor begins implementing a project, they come across obsolete construction regulations. Another problem occurs to them too, which is the paying capacity of the population, the competition in the market. The most important thing for us here is the anticipation: patients with what diseases will be in particular hospital in 5, 10 years. In the context of such approach to the invitation of private funds, there are still lots of problems, but it does not mean such problems cannot be solved. For this purpose, we should clearly understand, where and which support the government can provide, whether these will be the instruments of the public-private partnership or other. When discussing such issues, we generate a document important for all parties concerned, which document will be delivered to the public authorities,” remarked Taliya Minullina in her speech.

In order to expand the partnership networks, an exhibition of Russian and foreign companies was arranged in the margins of the conference. The Minister of healthcare of the Republic of Tatarstan Marat Sadykov and the Minister of construction, architecture, housing and communal services of Tatarstan Irek Faizullin familiarized themselves with the exhibited medical technologies in the company of the chief investment manager of the region Taliya Minullina.