Graubünden Hospital: 518 million for new wing

Context

In brief

• New Graubünden hospital wing ready by late November 2026 after 12 years of construction
• Total investment of 518 million francs, up from the initial 430 million
• Operating rooms increase from 10 to 13; emergency department and surgery on the same floor
• Around 17.000 surgical procedures per year in Chur, with annual growth of 2%

Key facts

• What: Expansion of the Graubünden cantonal hospital with a new 5-storey wing
• When: Late November 2026 (move), open day this Saturday
• Where: Chur, Canton of Graubünden, southeastern Switzerland
• Who: Canton of Graubünden, chief physician Thomas Müller, head of surgery Robert Slipac
• Amount: 518 million francs (from the original 430)
• Duration: 12 years, one of the largest construction sites in the hospital's 85-year history
• Procedures: 17.000 per year now, 15.000 ten years ago

Twelve years of intensive work are about to end. The Graubünden Cantonal Hospital in Chur is opening the new wing with an investment of 518 million francs, one of the largest construction projects in the facility's 85-year history. The move is scheduled for late November: before then, an open day (planned for this Saturday) will allow visitors to access the spaces — still largely empty, without medical equipment, but architecturally functional.

During a visit reserved for journalists, Thomas Müller, chief physician of emergency medicine at the Cantonal Hospital of Chur, explained that the wing does not yet "look like a real hospital." Much of the fitting-out will take place in the coming weeks. Immediately after the open day, testing of the various IT, management and infrastructure systems will begin — a critical phase that spokesperson Dajan Roman described as "an important step to verify that all the systems talk to each other."

Redefining services: a single entrance for emergencies

The new five-storey facility completely redesigns the organization of services. Emergency department, operating rooms and intensive care unit will all be located on the same floor — a choice that improves patient flow in critical situations. From November, all emergency cases will enter through the same emergency department entrance. A concept recently adopted also at Winterthur Cantonal Hospital and which, according to chief physician Müller, significantly improves collaboration among the various medical disciplines.

Operating rooms at the main site will increase from 10 to 13. An increase driven by concrete demographic and clinical dynamics. The population is aging and procedures are multiplying: in Chur, around 17.000 are performed per year, compared with 15.000 a decade ago. "The number of procedures increases by 2% every year," explained Robert Slipac, head of the surgical department. "We are increasingly noticing that we need more capacity."

Operational details

Why the expansion was necessary: an aging population and tourism pressure

The twelve-year construction project was not accidental. The hospital had to contend with two central dynamics of contemporary Switzerland: the aging population and the progressive increase in surgical procedures. Chur serves not only local residents of Graubünden. The region experiences significant demographic peaks during the tourist seasons, with the population increasing considerably in summer and winter. The new facility is sized to also respond to these additional flows, ensuring quality of care when pressure is at its highest.

Chief physician Müller emphasizes that "the new facility will be able to meet the needs and requirements of the population of southeastern Switzerland." A definition that recognizes the hospital's regional role — a reference center for the entire area and for visitors passing through the region, where access to emergency care is a priority throughout the year.

The final investment is higher than initially planned. The original budget provided for 430 million francs. The first increase brought it to 442 million (an increase of 12 million, 4 of which were due to legislative changes). The final jump to 518 million reflects three concrete factors that affected major Swiss public construction projects: inflation, geopolitical conflicts, and effects on the construction market (few bids received from companies). These elements are significant because they illustrate how the projected budgets of public infrastructure projects are under external pressure. The Canton of Graubünden had to adapt, while nevertheless maintaining the planned delivery schedule — a significant management achievement for public service planning.

Lessons from the pandemic: flexibility as a strategic resource

The first wing of the Cantonal Hospital was inaugurated in 2020, during the first coronavirus lockdown, without public celebrations. The open day was canceled out of respect for health restrictions. The lessons of the health crisis were incorporated into the design of the second section: the original plans were adapted to increase the flexibility of the spaces, allowing for rapid reconfiguration in the event of future emergencies. Wards that can be transformed from standard inpatient care into isolation areas represent investments that protect the community and strengthen the resilience of the Swiss healthcare system.

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Key points

The timeline toward operations: testing and relocation by November

The move is scheduled for late November 2026. Before then, a tightly scheduled sequence of activities will define the final details. Immediately after this Saturday’s open day, the focus shifts to testing the various systems: IT tests (networks, digital medical records), facility tests (climate control, power supply, medical communications), workflow tests (coordination between the emergency department, surgery, and intensive care). Only after this complete validation will the actual relocation phases begin.

What will change for patients and visitors

Starting in late November, anyone accessing the emergency department will find a completely redesigned facility. The single entrance for urgent cases streamlines the initial triage. Anyone requiring surgery will be immediately taken to the appropriate departments, without unnecessary transfers between different floors. Access times to intensive care, in the event of complications, will be significantly reduced.

The population of southeastern Switzerland—residents of Graubünden and Ticino—that requires complex care (surgical procedures, intensive-care admissions, trauma management) will benefit from the increased capacity. For tourists visiting Graubünden during winter or summer, a modern and efficient hospital facility is a guarantee of quality care in an emergency. The expansion represents a concrete strengthening of public services in Switzerland’s Alpine regions.

A lesson for the Swiss healthcare system

Adapting the original plans in response to the pandemic taught the Canton an enduring principle: flexibility of spaces is a valuable resource in a healthcare context. This lesson is not local: the Chur project is becoming a case study for other cantons planning hospital expansions and investments in public infrastructure. For those who live or work in the region, the reopening of the new wing represents a concrete strengthening of public healthcare—essential for an aging population that needs timely access to increasingly sophisticated care. An investment of 518 million francs is an investment in quality of life and the resilience of the Swiss healthcare system.

Check your health insurance coverage and premiums in your region: access Frontaliere Ticino’s LAMal and cantonal deductions calculator.

Source: swissinfo.ch