Bavaria’s Health Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) has warned of a collapse in the German health and care system. “We are facing a blackout in the healthcare system,” said Holetschek on Tuesday after a meeting of the Bavarian cabinet in Munich. The federal government must finally ensure the financing. The statutory health insurance was missing 17 billion euros. The federal government must close the gap.
“It will ultimately affect people’s care,” said Holetschek. Reductions in performance are then inevitable. Bavaria will also start a Federal Council initiative together with other federal states to secure the liquidity of hospitals, rehabilitation and care facilities.
The situation is dramatic: German hospitals will be short of nine billion euros in the next few years. The cost increases for the houses are enormous. Especially in nursing there is a blatant shortage of staff. “We actually need steps forward now,” said the minister. “We’re going to hit the wall there too and face a humanitarian catastrophe if we don’t set the right course now,” said Holetschek.