Finnish experts planning a hospital concept for Ukraine
Photo: Confederation of Builders of Ukraine
The IHDA alliance, consisting of Finnish hospital design experts, is planning a general hospital model for Ukraine with the aim of supporting the reconstruction of the hospital network throughout the country.
IHDA (Integrated Hospital Design Alliance), a group of Finnish experts in hospital design, is starting to develop a concept plan for Ukrainian hospitals. The purpose of the model plan is to accelerate the reconstruction and modernisation of the Ukrainian healthcare network throughout the country.
According to a media release published by IHDA, Ukraine's general hospitals serve a population of approximately 40,000 people in a wide range of diseases and injuries. In addition to inpatient wards, the hospitals have operating rooms, infectious disease treatment units, as well as therapy, orthopedics, traumatology, anesthesia, and neurology departments.
The need for medical units is high in Ukraine, as approximately 45 per cent of the hospital infrastructure has been destroyed.
“Dozens of new hospitals are needed. Our concept is based on Nordic hospital design expertise and highly standardised high-quality solutions. When the technical requirements for patient rooms and other spaces needed in all hospitals are developed into a concept, designing and building new hospitals will be easier and faster,” says Jukka Vasara, Chairman of the IHDA Group and Deputy CEO of Granlund.
The hospital concept will be developed as a pilot project to investigate and ensure the suitability of the model plan for local needs. The project involves the design and consultancy companies belonging t the IHDA Group: Granlund and its Raami Architects, A-Insinöörit and its ONE Architects, K2S Architects and Nordic Healthcare Group.
“The aim is to create a highly standardised general hospital design that can be adapted quickly to different needs and geographical locations in the construction of hospitals,” says Rami Kolehmainen, main designer of the project and CEO at Raami Architects.
Support is available to reach the Ukrainian reconstruction market
“Developing a new concept and introducing it to new markets requires multisectoral cooperation and careful preparation. IHDA has worked systematically to create networks in Finland, elsewhere in Europe and in Ukraine. IHDA representatives have been highly sought-after contacts for representatives of the Ukrainian construction industry at Ukrainian reconstruction events, for example in Poland,” says Reijo Kangas, a director from Business Finland and a member of the project’s steering group.
The project is funded by Finnpartnership, which operates under the guidance of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. Other parties involved in the steering of the project include Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure, Ukrainian Ministry of Healthcare, the European Investment Bank and the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
Business Finland offers contacts and advice for entering the Ukrainian reconstruction market. In addition to the advisory service on business development and export plans, Reijo Kangas advises those interested to attend the ReBuild Ukraine conference and trade fair, which will be held in Poland again in November 2025.
“There, it will be possible to meet representatives of Ukrainian municipalities and regions as well as authorities, Ukrainian and international companies, and financiers of Ukrainian reconstruction projects.”
Read the full media release: Finnish experts plan hospital concept for Ukraine, IHDA, 14.8.2025
In the photo:
Rami Kolehmainen, Main Designer of the Project and CEO at Raami Architects
Vitalii Karanda, Head of the Project Office for the Restoration of the Healthcare System of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine (no longer in the position)
Jukka Vasara, Chairman of the IHDA Group and Deputy CEO of Granlund
Serhiy Gorodetskyi, Chief Specialist of the Department of Technical Regulation in Construction of the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine
Oleksandr Chervak, CEO of CBU
Henry Pesonen, Director of Nordic Healthcare Group
Photo: Confederation of Builders of Ukraine
