Protest in Emden: Citizens defend themselves against emergency room closure!

Protest in Emden: Citizens defend themselves against emergency room closure!

Concern is growing in Emden about the announced closure of the emergency clinic. Critics have already made their voices heard and are mobilizing for a demonstration on Thursday, June 19th at 5:30 p.m., ahead of the upcoming City Council meeting. In April, the clinic director Dirk Balster announced the closure of emergency services in both Emden and Aurich, which met with widespread rejection. This decision is related to the legal requirements for emergency rooms, which require specialist departments, intensive care units, laboratories and radiology to meet patients. In the future, all emergencies will be brought to the planned central clinic in Uthwerdum, which is scheduled to open in 2029. The emergency services are to be strengthened in order to cope with this change, reports NWZonline.

A passionate voice in this debate is Zerrin Mentjes, who has already organized a first demonstration with 250 participants. She sharply criticizes Balster's attitude, especially with regard to the needs of older people and people with limited mobility. Balster has argued that it is not possible to build four central clinics and that seniors must organize travel independently. This argument angered many Emden residents and triggered voices of indignation.

Reformed emergency care or status quo?

The background to these controversies is the complex legislation surrounding healthcare in Germany. At a time when the state of emergency care is criticized as inconsistent and ineffective, the traffic light coalition's plans to reform emergency medicine are in jeopardy. Experts have been calling for uniform standards for years to improve the quality of care. These reforms could not only increase efficiency, but also save up to three billion euros per year daily news reported.

The tragedy in this situation is that the previous referendums on the central clinic and the promised 24-hour emergency services may not meet the legal standards that would be necessary. Michael Martens, a member of the voting community “Together for Emden”, has already raised questions about the wording of the 2019 referendum. It's unclear whether all of these questions can be answered before Thursday's important council meeting.

Public reaction and future prospects

The public reaction is mixed. While some citizens support the closures due to the economic and structural conditions of hospital reform, many disagree and feel deep disappointment with the supposed promises. Ingo Weber, mayoral candidate in Emden, has also launched an online petition that has collected around 800 signatures by Wednesday. The demands in this petition aim to maintain the emergency rooms in Emden and Aurich and to take citizens' concerns seriously, according to reports NDR.

The situation remains tense, and the upcoming city council meeting promises to set a decisive course for emergency care in the region. The people of Emden are looking forward to the decisions that will not only influence their healthcare system, but also the future quality of living in the city.