The hospitals in the country are also sounding the alarm because of the extremely high energy prices. Now there is an extensive promise of help from the Minister of Health.
Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach has promised quick and extensive financial aid in the billions for the clinics in the energy price crisis. The support should come “very quickly,” said the SPD politician on Wednesday in Berlin.
“I believe that we will be on the pitch in time with the money. No hospital will be in immediate distress due to increased energy prices. I can rule that out.” No hospital will go offline because there is no energy. The German Hospital Society (DKG) welcomed the announcement.
The prime ministers of the federal states discussed the topic on Wednesday afternoon at their meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD). In a draft resolution for the consultations, there was talk of a hardship regulation “for areas in which, despite the electricity and gas price brake, there are financial burdens that cannot be compensated for by those affected”. A total of 12 billion euros from the economic stabilization fund are earmarked for this, up to eight billion of which for hospitals, university clinics and care facilities. The fund was set up to provide company aid during the pandemic and has now been endowed with up to 200 billion euros to cushion the current crisis.
Lauterbach, who said he took part in the negotiations, said the federal and state governments agreed on the issue. He announced an ordinance from his house to make the additional eight billion in question available for clinics and care facilities. He pointed out that clinics or care facilities could hardly save on heating or electricity consumption because important devices such as magnetic resonance tomographs have to be operated.
DKG is relieved
“We are glad that the Federal Minister of Health, together with the Federal Minister of Finance (Christian) Lindner and Minister of Economics (Robert) Habeck, have found a solution to the economic emergency of the hospitals,” said the DKG on Wednesday. Now everything must be done so that the promised funds reach the clinics as quickly as possible. “We trust that words will be followed by deeds,” said DKG CEO Gerald Gass. The money must flow in January at the latest. According to him, numerous hospitals are currently having to take out bridging loans in order to be able to pay wages, salaries and bills on time.
Bavaria’s Health Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) said on Wednesday: “Eight billion euros to help with the exploding energy costs is a good start. But nobody can predict today whether that will be enough in the long term.” In case of doubt, the federal government must react quickly and make adjustments.
Source: Stern
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