Inauguration of Skandinavia private hospital in St. Petersburg
16/03/2004
Inauguration of Skandinavia private hospital in St. Petersburg took place on 16th March 2004.
Finland's Minister for Trade and Development, Paula Lehtomäki, inaugurated a new private hospital in St. Petersburg on Tuesday 16 March. Skandinavia Hospital, operated by the Scanfert company of Tampere, Finland, is the first full-service private hospital in Russia's second city.
Scanfert set up its first clinic in St. Petersburg eight years ago. The AVA-Peter clinic specialises in treating infertility, monitoring pregnancy, gynaecology and urology, and now also serves as a university training clinic. The new Skandinavia Hospital covers all branches of medicine. Among other services, it will have Russia's first private maternity ward.
Hospital operations are beginning gradually. The polyclinic was opened in January, the maternity ward and its operating theatre will open in April, and the hospital and its other operating theatres will start in May. In full swing the hospital will employ about 200 people. The staff will be Russian but Finnish experts will be used in developing treatment and administration.
Finance from World Bank and Finland
Getting finance from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group, was very important for the project. Finnish financiers Finnvera and Finnfund, the Nordea banking group and the Nordic Project Fund Nopef are also involved.
Most of the hospital equipment has been supplied by Finland's Instrumentarium company.
Serving middle-income residents
Russia's strong economic growth has spurred demand for private health care services. Most private clinics in St. Petersburg are small, specialist and expensive, serving wealthy clients. Skandinavia Hospital will provide quality treatment at a modest price for the growing middle class of St. Petersburg.
"We started out small and gradually expanded. AVA-Peter is now the second largest clinic of its type in Russia," said Ralph Ashorn, managing director of Scanfert.
"Initially there was opposition to a private clinic, but we've built up good relations with the local medical community and AVA-Peter now provides further training for doctors, which is unique in Russia."
"Close relations and a good reputation have also helped us find competent staff for the hospital. We want to make Skandinavia into a teaching hospital, too."
More information:
Scanfert managing director Ralph Ashorn, tel. +358 400 639 480
Finnfund investment manager Sari Nikka, tel. +358 40 822 8295
