The German Hospital Society (DKG) had repeatedly warned of the consequences of the dramatically increased energy prices for the clinics.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has promised hospitals billions in support in view of inflation and high energy costs. A solution will be presented on Wednesday, the SPD politician announced on Tuesday evening in a ZDF program. “It will work in such a way that we will make money available from the economic stabilization fund – up to eight billion euros,” explained Lauterbach.
In a draft resolution for the consultations with the prime ministers of the federal states this Wednesday, there is 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 twelve billion euros from the Economic Stabilization Fund are earmarked for this, up to eight billion of which for hospitals, university clinics and care facilities.
Lauterbach assured: “No hospital will have a problem because it cannot pay for inflation, electricity or gas.” The hospitals would also be protected by the planned gas price brake and electricity price brake, explained Lauterbach – “but not only”. “So that we just make sure that the hospitals don’t get into liquidity problems due to inflation, electricity and gas prices.”
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The Economic Stabilization Fund has been endowed with up to 200 billion euros – this debt-financed “defense shield” is intended to cushion the consequences of high energy prices for consumers and companies. The planned gas price brake is to be financed from this.
The German Hospital Society (DKG) had repeatedly warned of the consequences of the dramatic increase in energy prices for the clinics and called for a rapid adjustment to inflation. Otherwise, a “winter of hospital insolvencies” threatens.
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Bavaria’s Health Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) welcomed the help, but also doubted that it would help in the long term. “Because last week the Federal Minister of Health promised the clinics alone around 4.5 billion euros for the period up to the end of March 2023,” he said.
In addition, the traffic light coalition should not turn the aid into a “bureaucratic monster with complicated accounting for every hospital”.
With agency material.
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