Slovakia pauses construction of Prešov military hospital amid safety concerns

Prešov military hospital construction halt procurement complaints criminal investigation

Construction of a new military hospital in Prešov began at the turn of 2025‑2026 and a portion of the building has been completed. In spring, work was temporarily halted after quality checks identified problems with several load‑bearing columns. The regional prosecutor’s office has opened a criminal investigation for a crime of general danger and has taken samples from the defective columns for expert analysis.

The contract with the original builder was terminated; the Ministry of Defence said it may pursue legal action. A new consortium of firms has taken over the project and the ministry has announced a public tender for the second stage. The State Procurement Office is reviewing multiple complaints about the procurement process. Opposition parties criticised the awarding of the work without an open tender, but Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák and Prime Minister Robert Fico dismissed the criticism. Police continue the criminal investigation linked to the construction.

Entities: Prešov · Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Prešov · Robert Fico · Slovak Ministry of Defence · State Procurement Office (ÚVO)

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[○ 1 SOURCE] The contract with the original contractor was terminated and the Ministry of Defence may pursue legal action. (first article)
[● 2 SOURCES] Work on the hospital was temporarily halted in spring because of quality concerns about load‑bearing columns. (both articles)
[○ 1 SOURCE] The State Procurement Office received multiple complaints about the procurement process, which are being examined. (second article)
[● 2 SOURCES] The regional prosecutor’s office is conducting a criminal investigation for a crime of general danger related to the construction. (both articles)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Opposition parties criticized the award of work without a public tender; Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák and Prime Minister Robert Fico rejected the criticism. (second article)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Samples were taken from defective columns for expert analysis. (first article)
[● 2 SOURCES] A new consortium of firms has taken over the construction and a public tender for the second phase was announced. (both articles)
[● 2 SOURCES] Construction of a military hospital in Prešov began at the turn of 2025‑2026. (both articles)