The Coburg city and district council will deal with the offer from Sana Kliniken AG on Thursday, to take over the Coburg Clinic. Although at first glance there is a lot to say about the acquisition, many municipal and district councilors want to continue to manage their hospital at municipal level. In Lichtenfels, people would probably agree to the acquisition of Sana, but Sana is only interested in a global solution.
The insolvency administrator’s hands are tied
The insolvency administrator could actually suggest to the creditors’ meeting to accept the best-rated offer from Sana Kliniken AG. However, the hospital building in Coburg belongs to a special purpose association made up of the city and district of Coburg. The sale to Sana would only be possible with the approval of local authorities. At the tip of the scale are municipal and district politicians, who will decide on Thursday in a private meeting. The general representative of Regiomed, Rainer Eckert, speaks of a “very attractive offer” from Sana-Kliniken AG and would also like a quick decision for the employees.
Sana offers a “six in the lottery” to many local politicians
The head of Clínicas Sana, Thomas Lemke, speaks openly in the BR24 interview about the offer that the group put on the table. Sana would therefore buy the clinics Lichtenfels, Coburg and Neustadt bei Coburg, as well as the administration, the so-called Regiomed Holding. Furthermore, according to Lemke, Sana would take over the medical care centers (MVZ) and the medical faculty in Coburg. Lemke sees the medical school, which graduates medical students, as a big project: “We would use the medical school for our entire group.”
Furthermore, all workers’ employment contracts would be resumed under current conditions. “We pay according to TVöD and also continue with additional care.” According to information from BR24, many local politicians describe Sana’s offer as a “six in the lottery”, while others talk about giving up healthcare completely through a sale.
Risky municipal continuation
O Complexity of the health and hospital system will increase in the coming years, says Sana’s CEO, Thomas Lemke, in an interview with BR24. For him, a municipality will no longer be able to operate a single hospital with economy and quality in the future. Clinical expert Professor Boris Augurzky sees the same thing. He is head of the health competence area at the RWI Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and recommends that those involved carry out a “benevolent examination” of the Sana offer. For him, hospitals are only strong in network solutions; challenges, for example in the areas of IT, recruitment and personnel purchasing, will increase. According to the expert, this is not easy to manage for a small hospital.
The community must be able to pay for hospitals
In principle, health expert Boris Augurzky can also imagine a hospital in Coburg under municipal sponsorship. However, only if the municipal authority gives freedom to manage the clinic, otherwise the deficits would remain: “If money is already tight, it will be difficult”. The fact is that a new private operator will have to make changes, but the new management of a municipal hospital will also be obliged to put the clinic in a healthy condition. “Municipalities are often biased, local politicians know the doctors and staff.” Decisions are often made in favor of existing structures and not from an economic or medical quality point of view. Private operators could do this better than in a municipal structure with many political opinions and influences, says Augurzky.
Positive cooperation with Sana in Hof
Sana took over the first hospital in Upper Franconia, in Hof, in 2005. The hospital, which at that time was still administered by the municipality, has been in the hands of Sana AG for almost 20 years. Cooperation works well, according to Hof city hall. Questioned by BR24, mayor Eva Döhla (SPD) talks about major cuts in 2005: “The investments that have already been made and those planned for the future show that the decision at that time was the right one. ”. The city of Hof could not afford this as an operator, said Döhla.
Works council is in favor of municipal sponsorship
Coburg employees want a quick and good solution, emphasizes Regiomed works council chairman Martin Lücke. They are intensely dealing with Sana’s offer: “We are willing and able and would also get along well with Sana.” However, the works council is in favor of municipal sponsorship. The profits generated subsequently would remain in the region and would not flow to a large profit-oriented corporation, says Lücke. The fact is that both Sana and a municipal supplier have to make long-term profits. However, this will only be possible if management and the works council are given greater freedom of action. Municipalities would have to take a backseat. Unlike the Regiomed era, city authorities urgently need to improve their behavior, says Lücke.