The groundbreaking event included participation from regional councilor Mattias Adolfson, pediatric nurse Katarina Lindeblad, nurse Carina Karlsson, Emma Igelström from Skanska, and construction project manager Anna Holmström. This investment aims to meet future healthcare demands and provide better conditions for the youngest patients, their families, and the unit's staff. Neonatal care has developed rapidly in recent years, with an increasing focus on the family's importance for the child's health and development.
Current facilities limit possibilities for single rooms, isolation rooms, and safe medication management, which are important parts of infection prevention work. Neonatal patients are one of the most infection-sensitive patient groups, and the design of the facilities significantly impacts reducing infection spread. A central part of the new facilities is the possibility for parents to be close to their children throughout the entire care period.
For employees, the new facilities also mean an improvement in daily work. Katarina Lindeblad and Carina Karlsson have worked in the unit for over 35 and 40 years respectively and are part of the construction project group. The new neonatal unit is being built on a new floor above building 15, directly connected to existing operations.
The project is a close collaboration between several operations and is described as one of the most complex constructions in Region Kalmar län currently. The location above building 15 makes it possible to maintain proximity to delivery, maternity, and surgery units, ensuring that transports can occur quickly and safely. The total cost, expected completion date, and number of beds or rooms for the new unit have not been disclosed, nor have specific infection prevention features or the construction's impact on current hospital operations been detailed.