Prince Albert II inaugurates Belvédère building at CHPG
Prince Albert II inaugurating CHPG's new Belvédère building. On his left, Benoîte Rousseau de Sevelinges, on his right Céline Caron-Dagioni and Christophe Robino © Stéphane Danna
On Wednesday 23 April, Prince Albert II inaugurated the Bâtiment Belvédère, a new structure at the Princess Grace Hospital Centre (CHPG) that houses two essential services: the Donation Centre and the anatomopathology laboratory.
The Sovereign Prince, along with Ministers Céline Caron-Dagioni and Christophe Robino, as well as Benoîte Rousseau de Sevelinges, the CHPG’s Director, visited the hospital to inaugurate the new premises of the Blood Transfusion Centre and the Anatomopathology Department. The Belvédère building is the foundation stone of the new CHPG project, which is due to be completed in 2032. This is the first transitional building, enabling the temporary relocation of services in order to free up space for the demolition and reconstruction of other parts of the Hospital Centre, such as the Princess Charlotte building.
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Designed using modular timber construction techniques, it comprises five floors for a total of 1300 m². It was built by a consortium of local companies in a dense hospital environment. The aim is to keep disruption to a minimum and to comply with the specific technical constraints of health facilities.
A new space for blood donors
Prince Albert II started his visit with the first two floors of the building, which house the former Blood Transfusion Centre, now renamed the ‘Maison du Don’. Responsible for blood drives in the Principality, the department processes donations and then distributes them to the other hospital departments. “We have gone from 1,574 bags donated in 2021 to 2,348 in 2024. The strong growth is however still insufficient to cover all the Principality’s transfusion needs, between 4,500 and 5,000 bags”, explains Mélanie Rinaudo, who has been Head of Department since 2022. “The space is located in a busy area, and the reception area and donor comfort have been improved. We hope this will have a positive effect on visitor numbers.”
The staff were closely involved in the design of their space, and were also able to work together to improve their working conditions. “We have a lot of natural light, and we now have ergonomic workstations to prevent MSDs (musculoskeletal disorders) such as backache and neck pain,” says nurse Marie-France Boudet. Sandra Donges, health manager, praises “the efforts to cut down on repetitive tasks.”
Cutting-edge technologies for molecular biology
The Prince’s visit then continued to the two upper floors of the building, devoted to anatomopathology, a medical speciality that focuses on tissue and cell analysis. “This service is key to the diagnosis of many pathologies, in particular cancers such as lung cancer and melanoma, whose number have rocketed in recent years due to exposure to the sun,” explains Dr Florence Dupré.
The laboratory is now equipped with an automated molecular biology platform, the Idylla system. “This tool makes it possible to partially type tumour samples in just a few hours. Until now, analysis took several days and was carried out externally,” says the head of the department. Along with two automated scanners for analysing sample slides, and AI software for diagnostic assistance, information is transmitted more quickly and efficiently.
This saves time, enabling doctors to be more responsive in tailoring treatments, particularly in cases of lung, breast, colon or brain cancer. The CHPG continues to work with specialist centres for more complex analyses.
Concrete improvements in diagnostics
The installation of this cutting-edge equipment is part of a process that began several years ago at the CHPG, with digitised services and the development of new expertise, in conjunction with Nice’s University Hospital. This is an important technical step forward, with a direct impact on the speed and accuracy of diagnosis.
The commissioning of the Belvédère Building is a landmark moment in the CHPG’s transformation, keeping abreast with evolving medical practices and care needs. From June onwards, themed days and guided tours of the Maison du don are planned to encourage the public to get involved in blood donation.