Hospitals - Medical association concerned: closures at Neuruppin clinic
Following the announcement of the closure of two departments at the hospital in Neuruppin, the Brandenburg Medical Association believes that medical care close to home in rural areas is at risk. "This means that the inadequate funding of hospitals in Brandenburg has become a reality to the detriment of patient care," the state medical association announced on Monday. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauerbach (SPD) is called upon to act quickly, it is high time for hospital reform with secure care in the area.
The University Hospital Ruppin-Brandenburg is running a deficit in the millions and announced last week that it would be closing two specialist departments on January 1, 2024. This affects the Clinic for Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases and the Clinic for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. According to the Ministry of Health, hospital locations in Oberhavel and Barnim, for example, could cover the care of patients in the two affected specialist areas.
State Medical Association President Frank-Ullrich Schulz said: "This means that these two areas will no longer receive the medical care they have been accustomed to close to home and patients will have to travel long distances in future." Lauterbach must "finally give the care of patients in rural areas the priority it deserves". The Ministry of Health in Potsdam also announced that the decision by the hospital in Neuruppin shows how urgently a fundamental reform of hospital financing is needed.
The forecast loss for this year is 8.3 million euros and a similarly high deficit is also expected for 2024, according to a statement from the hospital in Neuruppin, which justifies the imbalance with inadequate hospital funding. "This year, we are already experiencing an unprecedented nationwide wave of hospital insolvencies and closures," said Gunnar Pietzner, Managing Director of Pro Klinik Holding GmbH, the company responsible.
According to its own figures, the hospital had around 2,500 employees and almost 870 beds in 2022. It has the status of a university hospital of the Brandenburg Medical School and is part of a hospital network.
Many clinics in Germany are doing badly economically. Until a hospital reform can take effect at all, hospitals are calling for a rapid additional financial injection from the federal government. The federal states are pushing for a so-called preliminary law for hospitals whose existence is under threat, which would cover operating costs in line with demand, according to the Ministry of Health in Potsdam.
In Brandenburg, for example, the Elbe-Elster-Klinikum with three locations is also 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.
Read also:
- The Ministry of Health in Potsdam shares the concerns of the Brandenburg Medical Association, stating that the closure of departments at the Neuruppin clinic highlights the need for a fundamental reform of hospital financing.
- To address the financial struggles of hospitals in Brandenburg, such as the one in Neuruppin, the state is advocating for a preliminary law for hospitals at risk, which would ensure operating costs align with demand.
- Gunnar Pietzner, Managing Director of Pro Klinik Holding GmbH, which oversees the University Hospital Ruppin-Brandenburg in Neuruppin, laments the economic challenges facing hospitals nationwide, including those in Brandenburg, calling for immediate additional financial support from the federal government.
Source: www.stern.de
