Vilnius district The council should decide on March 28 whether to lease the retail chain "Norfa" Capital Medical Center, founded by its owner Dainius Dundulis, in which he invested over 40 million euros.
District Mayor Robertas Duchnevičius says that the council's draft decision may still be subject to adjustments, as it will be considered by municipal committees next week.
"This facility (Capital Medical Center – BNS) is among those to be considered, but when the tender conditions are in place, then the (Vilnius District – BNS) polyclinic, if it receives an order, will be decided by the council at the end of the month, on the 28th of March (BNS), and then we will proceed with specific procedures," R. Duchnevičius told BNS on Tuesday.
The head of the Capital Medical Center, D. Dundulis, told BNS on Tuesday that he knew that the issue of renting his center would be decided by the council on March 28.
According to him, no specific agreements have yet been reached with the municipality, and it is also not yet clear what procedures would follow once the council makes a decision.
"We can say that we have had almost no transactions with the public sector - BNS. As a representative of private business, I see it very simply, primitively - you negotiate the conditions and if both sides agree, you sign. But since the public interest is on the other side here, there are certain rules," D. Dundulis told BNS.
According to R. Duchnevičius, specific lease terms would be negotiated after the council makes a decision, and it is also not ruled out that other options would be considered if another competitive offer to lease premises in the southern part of Vilnius were received.
"It is important for us to have some kind of larger facility in the southern part (of Vilnius - BNS) that could concentrate medical services and provide them perhaps at a secondary level, because the network of outpatient clinics that we have widely distributed sends our patients to the district polyclinic, so people still have to travel further," R. Duchnevičius told BNS.
"It is important to have something bigger as soon as possible and provide these services so that our clients do not have to go to city clinics, which is a trend we see," added the district mayor.
The initial draft of the council resolution, registered on February 17, proposed approving the construction of a 9,1 thousand sq. m. medical center. Wolffoot, Račių g. 1, for the lease of premises, as well as to purchase equipment and furniture from it by way of lease.
However, after BNS's interview with R. Duchnevičius on Tuesday, the revised project submitted no longer specifies the specific address and area of the premises - it is proposed to approve the development of the district polyclinic infrastructure by renting premises of up to 10 thousand sq. meters.
According to the document, the district budget would require an additional EUR 1,65 million this year, EUR 2026 million in 2,86, and EUR 2027 million in 3,5 for the rental of premises and the purchase of equipment and furniture through leasebacks.
D. Dundulis did not specify how much the municipality would cost to rent the medical center premises: "I can only say that currently the offices are rented more expensively (...) on the market and at market prices."
The owner of Norfa said that the term of the lease agreement will depend on the municipality, and he also assured that he has more offers to rent the center's premises.
"It could be 10, it could be 15 years. (…) We're not 100 percent sure yet whether they'll rent," said D. Dundulis.
D. Dundulis previously told BNS that he was giving up the medical business after President Gitanas Nausėda vetoed amendments to the law adopted by the Seimas, according to which referrals for free health services could also be provided by institutions outside the national health system.
According to him, the clinic had already started providing primary health care, and was supposed to start providing all services last year.
According to the Center of Registers, D. Dundulis-controlled "Rivona" has 70 percent, and the former Vilnius University Kęstutis Strupas, General Director of the Santarų Klinikos Hospital, owns 30 percent of the shares of the Capital Medical Center, established three years ago.
The Medical Center in Vilkpėde, Račių g. 1, next to the "Norfos base", has six operating rooms and the same number of intensive care units. According to D. Dundulis, the clinic is equipped with the latest technology and equipment.
It was previously announced that the construction and equipment of the center was completed in mid-summer last year. The portal "15min" wrote at the time that more than 20 million euros had been invested in equipment alone, and it was planned to employ about 300 employees.
According to Sodra, the institution currently employs 4 people, although it employed 50 employees last year.
Author Giedrius Gaidamavičius
