The new hospital built by the Dăruiește Viață Association within the “Marie S. Curie” Emergency Clinical Hospital for Children in Bucharest has marked one year of operation, a period during which it recorded a significant increase in medical activity and an improvement in service quality. According to the review presented Friday, over 3,500 children have benefited from treatment in modern conditions, and the association unveiled ambitious plans for the development of a Pediatric Medical Campus, premiering renderings of the second building.
Significant Increase in Medical Activity and New Services
Since its inauguration on April 16, 2024, the new hospital, built exclusively from donations from over 350,000 individuals and sponsorships from over 8,000 companies (a total investment of 53 million euros), has become a vital center for treating children with serious conditions. “Between April 2024 and April 2025, over 3,500 patients were treated in the new Hospital,” stated Dr. Anna Kadar, Medical Director of SCUC Marie Curie. The new operating block, equipped with 5 modern operating theaters, has hosted over 4,000 surgical interventions.
The neurosurgery department saw spectacular growth, with 490 patients admitted, representing a 70% increase compared to the previous year. Dr. Sorin Târnoveanu, head of the department, emphasized: “We are one of the departments that moved into the new Hospital, and this allowed us to create the first on-call line for polytrauma patients in Bucharest and increase the number of treated patients by 70%.” Additionally, the surgery department treated 1,042 patients, and the oncology department, unique in Romania for its multidisciplinary approach, cared for over 100 children, including new cases and patients under observation. Dr. Ruxandra Vidlescu, head of the oncology department, mentioned the positive impact: “We have treated over 100 patients in the new department, and the children genuinely come in happier and in better spirits.”
The hospital offers treatment conditions meeting European standards, with rooms having a maximum of two beds, private bathrooms, beds for parents, state-of-the-art equipment, and facilities dedicated to children, such as a cinema, radio studio, indoor garden, astronomical observatory, and play areas. The impact on patients and families is profound, as testified by the mother of a 9-year-old boy treated in the neurosurgery department: “When he found out how the Hospital was built, my little boy decided to donate the allowance money he had saved over the last 7 months… During the last admission, he told me: now we go to the bank, right? To make another donation.”
The Vision Continues: Building the Pediatric Medical Campus
The Dăruiește Viață project doesn’t stop here. The association is working intensely on the second phase: the construction of a Pediatric Medical Campus, which will include a new building connected to the existing one, where the other departments of the Marie Curie Hospital will also be relocated. “#WeBuiltAHostpital, and our dream doesn’t stop here… We want the Marie Curie Hospital to become the first Pediatric Medical Campus in Romania and a benchmark for Southeastern Europe,” stated Oana Gheorghiu, co-founder of Dăruiește Viață. The technical project for the new building is expected by the end of 2025.
Besides infrastructure, Dăruiește Viață has facilitated strategic partnerships with internationally renowned hospitals, such as St. Jude in the USA and Prinses Maxima in the Netherlands, for medical staff training, complex analyses, and consultations (tumor boards), thus ensuring access for children with cancer to high-quality multidisciplinary treatments.
“We built this Hospital thinking about the patients, their families, and the medical staff… We thank everyone who has stood by us so far and invite them to continue supporting us,” added Carmen Uscatu, co-founder of Dăruiește Viață, reiterating the call for continued support through donations and sponsorships for the completion of the Medical Campus and the maintenance of the existing hospital.
