Hospitals - Left-wing parliamentary group calls for immediate aid for clinics
The left-wing parliament ary group in the Brandenburg state parliament has demanded immediate aid for hospitals from the state government. The money should be used to prevent hospital insolvencies and maintain healthcare in the Mark, according to the parliamentary group's motion presented on Tuesday. The costs for hospitals had risen enormously as a result of the war in Ukraine. Despite special investment programs, the clinics are chronically underfunded.
Many of the economically ailing clinics recently called for an additional financial injection from the federal government. Brandenburg's governing parties, the CDU, SPD and Greens, also made it clear that the federal government would have to take a step here. "We have a certain dualism in the financing of hospitals," said SPD parliamentary group leader Daniel Keller. Brandenburg already has one of the highest investment rates of all the federal states in terms of hospitals.
The Ruppin-Brandenburg University Hospital announced last week that it would be closing two specialist departments on January 1, 2024. According to the hospital itself, it had incurred losses in the millions. This affects the clinic for ear, nose and throat diseases and the clinic for oral and maxillofacial surgery.
In Brandenburg, for example, the Elbe-Elster-Klinikum with three locations is in financial difficulties. Wards are being closed. Inpatient care is to be largely concentrated at two locations from June 2024. In addition, Spremberg Hospital (Spree-Neiße district) applied for planned insolvency as protective shield proceedings in 2022 and drew up a restructuring plan to save itself.
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The SPD parliamentary group leader, Daniel Keller, acknowledged the dual financing issue for hospitals in Brandenburg, emphasizing the need for federal government involvement due to rising costs caused by the Ukraine war. The left-wing parliamentary group in the Brandenburg state parliament urgently requested aid from the state government to prevent hospital insolvencies and sustain healthcare in the region. The University Hospital Ruppin-Brandenburg announced closures of two specialist departments due to financial losses, impacting the clinics for ear, nose, and throat diseases and oral and maxillofacial surgery. Additionally, the Spremberg Hospital in the Spree-Neiße district applied for insolvency protection and developed a restructuring plan to stay afloat. The Elbe-Elster-Klinikum, with three locations, is in financial trouble and plans to consolidate inpatient care at two locations from June 2024. The Ukrainian conflict continues to significantly impact the healthcare sector across various German regions, necessitating immediate attention and support from both state and federal governments.
Source: www.stern.de
