HMC hospital gets 35 million euro BNG Bank loan for major upgrade

Haaglanden Medical Centre (HMC) has signed a €110 million loan agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB). The financing will be used for HMC’s “Integrated Housing Plan”, running up to 2030, which will see the hospital refurbish two of its main locations. More specifically, the plan entails an upgrade of the sites and redistribution of the medical services among the sites for improved efficiency, an overall quality increase of the medical services, and enhanced wellbeing for both patients and staff. In addition to the EIB financing, BNG Bank provides a €35 million loan for the project.

EIB vice-president Kris Peeters commented: “This transaction shows how relevant European financing is for the Netherlands. The European Investment Bank has financed university hospitals, general hospitals and top-clinical ones like HMC for several years now. We are glad that, as Europe’s climate bank, we can support both top quality healthcare and sustainability measures at the same time, showing that one does not exclude the other.”

Martijn Wiesenekker, Member of the Board of HMC, added: “We are very happy with the official confirmation of the EIB’s financing. Apart from the funding itself, it also shows trust in the plans and financial position of HMC. In the end, the most important thing is that these resources allow us to make crucial investments to continue to guarantee care for all residents of Haaglanden and the surrounding area.”

HMC’s plan means that HMC Westeinde and HMC Antoniushove will be gradually refurbished and upgraded. Both were built between the 1960 and 70s and need an upgrade to enhance efficiency of operations, optimise the provision of healthcare and accommodate staff and patients’ expectations. The third location, the HMC Bronovo hospital, will remain open as a hospital for planned care until 2030. Together with a variety of healthcare partners, such as general practitioners, HMC is setting up an innovative healthcare hub for prevention and other healthcare services for patients in the area Benoordenhout – Scheveningen. On the environmental side, the foreseen measures are expected to cut HMC’s CO2 emissions by about 64% compared to 2013 levels.

Background information

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. It makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals. Over the last five years, the European Investment Bank has financed over €1,1 billion worth of healthcare projects in the Netherlands, including University Medical Centres, top-clinical hospitals and long-term care facilities.

HMC is one of the top clinical hospitals in the Netherlands, providing basic and specialist medical care to around 718 000 inhabitants, from the city of The Hague and the Haaglanden metropolitan area. HMC offers a complete range of medical services varying from general hospital services to complex tertiary care. HMC’s Trauma Centre, Neuro Centre and Cancer Care Centre have a particular degree of specialisation and serve patients at supra-regional level. HMC operates around 540 beds and employs 4,241 staff of whom, around 8% are medical doctors. In 2019, HMC provided care to nearly 172,000 patients

BNG Bank is a committed partner for a more sustainable Netherlands. The bank supports government policy by providing cheap financing based on its AAA rating to municipalities, housing associations and healthcare institutions, among others. With a balance sheet of over €110 billion, BNG Bank is the fourth-biggest bank in the Netherlands.