Millions in price discrepancies found in Zhytomyr region hospital renovation

The Ovruch city hospital in Zhytomyr region has commissioned a major renovation of one of its departments for UAH 54.91 million. In the contract estimate, journalists from "Nashi Groshi" discovered significant discrepancies between the prices of building materials and current market offers. For just a few checked items, potential overpayment may exceed UAH 1.5 million.

The agreement with LLC "Eurokon Ukraina" was concluded by the hospital on October 1 following an open tender. There was no competition for the procurement — only one participant submitted a bid.

The biggest discrepancies were found in the cost of cement mixtures. Finishing mortar 1:3 and masonry mortar M150 were budgeted at UAH 14,111 per cubic meter. Meanwhile, suppliers offer similar products for approximately UAH 2,850-7,089 per cubic meter — two to five times cheaper.

Concrete V20 M250 was included in the estimate at UAH 13,891 per cubic meter. In Zhytomyr, such concrete can be purchased for about UAH 3,300, while the average price across Ukraine, according to monitoring by State Enterprise "NIRI" for August, was UAH 4,416. Even the highest recorded price — UAH 6,400 — is more than twice lower than the estimated one.

The cost of sand also turned out to be inflated. In the documents it was included at UAH 1,893 per cubic meter, while price monitoring in Zhytomyr region showed a range from UAH 196 to 609. Local sellers offer sand at about UAH 525-1,050 per cubic meter.

Acrylic paint Ceresit CT 42 was budgeted at UAH 322 per kilogram. In stores it can be found at UAH 148-241. Journalists also found differences in the cost of bedside panels, fireproofing materials and air conditioners. According to "Nashi Groshi" estimates, the potential overpayment on just eight analyzed items is about UAH 1.92 million.

The main part of the renovation is paid by philanthropists: UAH 49.91 million of the total contract amount are charitable funds, and another UAH 5 million is provided by the local budget. This year it is planned to allocate UAH 30 million for the works.

The contractor must repair by the end of 2027 the building of the former gynecological department and arrange there a medical rehabilitation department with 20 beds and outpatient care rooms. The project provides for facade insulation, replacement of windows and doors, repair of the foundation and engineering networks, interior finishing and creation of a barrier-free space.

The current agreement is the third one concerning this facility. The first contract with "Eurokon Ukraina" was terminated after the requirement of the State Audit Service: auditors established that the company did not confirm the availability of all necessary equipment, personnel and experience. In September 2025, the contractor again won the tender, received UAH 10.37 million for completed works, after which the contract was terminated due to the need to adjust the design and estimate documentation.

In June 2026, the mayor of Ovruch reported that UAH 13.96 million had already been spent on the facility. Previous works were financed by the Dutch Foundation for Assistance to Eastern Europe from the Reformed Communities of Stolwijk.

LLC "Eurokon Ukraina" is registered in Kyiv in 2003. According to "Nashi Groshi", since 2017 the company has received government contracts worth approximately UAH 840 million.

Based on materials from: "Nashi Groshi"