New RAKUS building will lack bomb shelter

The new building for the Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital (RAKUS) in Riga will not feature a bomb shelter, a decision drawing criticism from politicians. The project, valued at approximately 70 million euros, is the largest construction undertaking at RAKUS in decades and is slated to house the Latvian Infectious Diseases Center and the Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases Center.

According to the "Nekā personīga" investigative program, architects and designers repeatedly proposed including a shelter in the building's basement during the planning phase, aware of impending legislative changes. However, the hospital ultimately abandoned the idea. RAKUS explained that project design began before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a time when regulations did not mandate such facilities, and specific building codes for shelters in healthcare facilities were not yet developed.

Health Ministry officials told the program that European Union fund financing conditions also limited the project, as funds could only be used for healthcare infrastructure. They noted that new planning periods are expected to incorporate such solutions. The Ministry of Economics added that even before the mandatory requirement, building owners could have assessed the feasibility of constructing a shelter and included it in the design specifications.

Several politicians have voiced disapproval of the decision not to include a shelter. Economics Minister Viktors Valainis (ZZS) stated that the public sector should not wait for mandatory requirements regarding security but should adapt projects to new circumstances proactively. Ainars Latkovskis (JV), chairman of the Saeima National Security Committee, found the decision incomprehensible following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Health Ministry is currently compiling the needs of all Latvian hospitals to improve their resilience in crisis situations. An informative report on the necessary investments to strengthen healthcare facility security is planned for government submission in August.