KLINIKUM MÖNCHENGLADBACH

Concerned that too many babies are still dying in high-risk births, the German government is funding a string of new perinatal centres to care for preterm infants and their mothers.

Our Frankfurt-based health team has already helped build three of these dedicated facilities. One is the specialised mother and child clinic at the Städtische Kliniken Mönchengladbach, a redevelopment of the Elisabeth Hospital in Rheydt, which also includes a centre for geriatric care.

Specialised Care for Newborns

Designed by HDR TMK Architects, the 34-bed Level 1 perinatal centre is geared to the special needs of significantly underweight new-borns. Level 1 clinics care for mothers and babies where the estimated birth weight is below 1.25kg or the baby is born before 29 weeks gestation; where the mother is pregnant with triplets (or more multiples); or where serious conditions requiring specialised intensive care of the baby, such as critical heart defects or diaphragmatic hernias, are prenatally diagnosed. They feature an interconnected maternity ward, operating room and neonatal intensive care unit with at least six places.

Friendly Facilities

The facility at Städtische Kliniken is designed to combine a relaxed and friendly environment for the whole family with maximum safety for mother and child. Its facilities, decorated in warm and varied colours, include state-of-the-art delivery rooms and operating theatres, plus a newborn nursery equipped to support breastfeeding, family rooms and a gym. The hospital’s layout supports the drive for enhanced safety, with the delivery rooms located just 25 steps from the paediatric intensive care unit next door. A new car park has also been built to meet demand from increased patient numbers.

Completed on Time and Budget

We provided project management services to the scheme, implementing stringent cost management measures to make sure it finished on time and budget. A central challenge was overseeing construction of this significant new facility on a working hospital campus. In particular, the direct link between the mother and baby clinic and the neighbouring paediatric unit called for the highest hygiene standards and minimal noise and pollution.