June the 12th, 2025 – Split Hospital (KBC Split) will open its brand new Park of Life (Park zivota), which has been made possible through donations.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the plan is for Split Hospital to officially present the brand new Park of Life to the public today. The new facility is located in the former space between the Oncology Clinic and the Gynaecology and Obstetrics Clinic.
This is a commendable project financed exclusively by donations from both individuals and companies, organised by the Split County League Against Cancer. The park has completely changed the appearance of the busy micro-area between these two important clinics.
This formerly neglected area has now been successfully transformed into a true horticultural oasis. The hard work to get it into such an impressive state from what it was has been going on for the last ten months. Creative landscape architects have thought through every centimetre of the future space.
The initiator of this Split Hospital Park of Life project is the leading Croatian oncologist and internationally recognised expert, Professor Eduard Vrdoljak, PhD, who explained the symbolism and motives behind this praiseworthy project.
“Having been at the head of the Oncology and Radiotherapy Clinic at KBC Split for a long time now, I believed that we needed to make a tangible step forward and offer our patients a truly new experience. I wanted to offer this not only to patients but to the general public as well. We decided that we wanted a project that would be financed exclusively by the local community and donors in order to send out an even stronger message about inclusiveness and solidarity when it comes to higher interests such as health. With joint efforts, we managed to improve a rather unsightly space that was located between two of the most important clinics – gynaecology and oncology.
In one of these clinics, new life arrives and new beings come into the world, while in the other, patients are often fighting for their health, and in some cases to remain alive. That’s why this newly renovated Split Hospital space is called the Park of Life, because it communicates an incredibly important message about hope, happiness and the cycle of life. This is the central place where we’ll come together to both celebrate life and to fight for it. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the entire team of the County League Against Cancer as well as the director of KBC Split, Krešimir Dolić, for their synergy and support. Once again, I’d like to thank all of our donors, in whichever sense they participated in this project,” stated Dr. Vrdoljak.
The County League Against Cancer added that the new Split Hospital Park of Life will be a place of peace, life and contemplation. All patients, doctors and technical staff from the two mentioned clinics will be able to spend time and enjoy a sense of calm that only nature can provide.
In today’s fast paced and modern world, it’s claimed that people are becoming increasingly lonely, and the virtual world in which many find solace can cause a series of problems. In illness, comfort, security, trust and attention are the most needed categories. All this stems from trust in the healthcare system, which can only be trusted if it is clean, dignified, tidy, functional and radiates positive energy.
In the very centre of the newly built park, a century-old olive tree has been planted and six gravel paths branch from it to six benches that are separated from each other. All visitors will have privacy while sitting on them. The paths are bordered by bushy flowers, and the pergolas are covered with gorgeous bougainvillea flowers. Additional trees have been planted, including magnolia, mimosa, ginkgo, bitter orange, carob, elderberry, camellia, mulberry and linden. The director of KBC Split, Krešimir Dolić, noted that the new Split Hospital Park of Life has the potential to become the most beautiful park in all of Split.
“This park attracts attention with its content and appearance, it offers the opportunity for meditation and relaxation, and represents additional value to the hospital itself,” said Dolić.
