HISTORY AND MISSION OF CHILDREN‘S HOSPITAL

As stated in The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, there is nothing more important than our children and their right to access and receive the highest standards of medical care. We the staff at The Children’s Hospital are fully committed to realizing this goal and feel an enormous responsibility to provide the best care possible to each and every child delivered into our care. In addition to ensuring qualified, University teaching hospital level medical treatment, we also strive to surround our young patients with a friendly and warm environment, to ensure their hospital experience is made easier.

Juozas Raistenskis,  Prof. MD, PhD

History

1945 – The Children’s Hospital, comprising the Children’s Intern Pathology and Children’s Surgery Departments, opens as a 100 bed facility in Kaunas Street in Vilnius.

1949 – Surgery Department is moved to St. Jacob’s Hospital (Šv. Jokūbo), and in its place a Tuberculosis Department is established.

1950 – Children’s Hospital moves to Vytautas Street and merges with The Vilnius City Children’s Consulting Clinic – name changed to The United Children’s Hospital of Vilnius.

1968 – hospital is renamed The Republican Children’s Hospital and the number of beds increased to 240 – a Department for Newborns is established.

1976 – new facilities are constructed in Santariskiu Street: with four surgery sections (200 beds), three newborn sections (110 beds), a paediatric section (40 beds), a diagnostic section (18 beds) and 2 resuscitation and intensive care sections (14 beds) – The Republican Children’s Surgery Centre is established.

1985 – name is changed to The Republican Children’s Clinical Hospital.

1988 – second new building with additional 200 beds is established.

1991 – hospital is renamed The Republican Children’s Hospital at Vilnius University and three new clinics are established – Children’s Surgery, Paediatrics and Neonatology.

1999 – The Children’s Rehabilitation Clinic in Utena is incorporated.

2005 – The Children’s Development Centre is incorporated. Official name becomes Vilnius University Children’s Hospital

2010 – Valkininkai Children’s Hospital “Pušelė” and Druskininkai Children’s Rehabilitation Centre “Saulutė” were subordinated to Vilnius University Children’s Hospital.

2011 – Vilnius University Children’s Hospital became the Affiliate of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clincs

2020 – Children’s Hospital integrated into Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics.

At present Children’s Hospital has 797 beds. It is the biggest children’s hospital in Lithuania. There work the most professional specialists in our country, some of them are renown all over the world.