energy crisis
Lauterbach promises hospitals support
Karl Lauterbach (SPD), Federal Minister of Health. photo
© Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa
In the midst of the energy crisis, the traffic light coalition is planning a powerful relief package. However, hospitals fear that they will be overlooked. The Minister of Health wants to allay this concern.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has promised hospitals support in view of the high energy prices. “We don’t want the hospitals to have to close in the fall because the energy isn’t affordable,” said the SPD politician on Tuesday on the RTL/ntv program “Frühstart”. It won’t come to that. “As the federal government, we know the problem and are working on it.” The government will “under no circumstances” let the hospitals down.
The hospitals fear being forgotten in the relief package from the federal and state governments. Hospitals must be treated in a differentiated manner, recently demanded the chairman of the board of the German Hospital Society (DKG), Gerald Gass, in the “Spiegel”. Unlike other companies, clinics cannot offset part of their cost increases by raising prices. “Neither can we temporarily shut down our operations or lower temperatures to save costs,” he said.
The federal government has announced a rescue package of up to 200 billion euros to protect consumers and companies from high energy prices due to the Ukraine war. Gas and electricity prices should be capped. There should be liquidity and equity support for companies that do not benefit sufficiently from the electricity and gas price caps. Details are still open. The aid is to be financed through loans. This Tuesday, the heads of government of the federal states will discuss this with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD).
“Mirror” report