Before the upcoming Prime Minister’s Conference with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), Bavaria is demanding more money and help from the federal government for hospitals, medical facilities and rehabilitation and nursing facilities. “It is important that we take a big step forward in the new week,” said Health Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) of the German Press Agency in Munich. The results of the federal-state conference at the beginning of October were “unsatisfactory” and did not do justice to the seriousness of the situation. The annual conference of the heads of government of the federal states with the Chancellor will take place in Hanover on Wednesday.
“Many hospitals, rehabilitation and care facilities as well as medical facilities are facing a financial knockout due to the energy crisis and high inflation. Before we have to figuratively resuscitate numerous clinics in the end, we should now fight the visible symptoms and obvious causes and support the facilities financially.” , said Holetschek. A rescue package is therefore “urgently needed now”, under which hospitals, preventive and rehabilitation facilities as well as nursing facilities and other medical facilities such as established medical practices could equally gather. Without a rescue package, patient care in Germany would be at risk, said Holetschek.
The gas and heat price brake planned from March and the one-off payment in December are “a good first step. But the facilities undoubtedly need further help to prevent insolvencies and performance restrictions”. In particular, in addition to gas and district heating, other energy sources, electricity prices and fuel costs for nursing services should also be considered. “A mechanism is needed to absorb the extraordinary cost increases in care facilities in the short term without the costs being borne by those in need of care,” said Holetschek. The help must be quick and unbureaucratic, otherwise bankruptcies can hardly be avoided. The Bavarian district council made a similar statement on Friday in a letter to Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD).