Potsdam/Guben. The fate of the Naemi Wilke Foundation in Guben is affecting Brandenburg state politics. The clinic had on Wednesday insolvency registered in self-administration.
This is a direct result of the policy of Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD), explained Bundestag member and former Finance Minister Christian Görke (Left): “It is even Lauterbach’s declared goal to reduce hospital density in order to save costs.” What will happen will lead to the death of small clinics in rural regions and people will have to travel considerable distances to the nearest hospital.
Demand for money from federal and state governments
“The clinics’ time is up, their financial reserves are exhausted,” said Brandenburg’s left-wing health politician and Neuruppin state parliament member Ronny Kretschmer. “Without financial help, one clinic after another in Brandenburg will be in trouble.”
The ILB liquidity loans promised by the Brandenburg state government are useless and ineffective. “Real financial aid from the federal and state governments is needed to ensure the survival of Brandenburg hospitals until the reform.”
Clinics “saved for the trash”
The top candidate of the Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) alliance, Robert Crumbach, made similar comments. “Before Corona, the state governments under the health ministers of the Left and the Greens destroyed Brandenburg’s hospitals for decades,” said Crumbach. “The state did not fulfill its obligation to adequately finance the investment costs of the hospitals.”
The state government is therefore driving the clinics into insolvency. Added to this is the hospital reform by the SPD Health Minister Lauterbach. It is making it increasingly difficult for the clinics to provide their services and operate sensibly.
Health Minister Ursula Nonnemacher (Greens) emphasized on Wednesday that the state would closely monitor the restructuring process in Guben. But she also blamed the federal government for the hospitals’ financial difficulties. Financing the operating costs of the clinics is the responsibility of the federal government. Due to the lack of interim funding from the federal government, more and more hospitals are facing existential difficulties. They “now need security and financial support,” said Nonnemacher. (to leave)