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District council and city council decide: New central clinic for Friesland!
On July 2nd, the Friesland district council will decide on the construction of a joint central clinic in Wilhelmshaven to ensure health care.
District council and city council decide: New central clinic for Friesland!
In a little less than a week, things will get serious: On July 2nd, the Friesland district council and the Wilhelmshaven city council will meet to decide on the future health care of around 180,000 people. An accelerated process that aims at a common central clinic. The two meetings take place at the same time but separately - the district council in the guest's house in Horumersiel and the city council in the Wilhelmshaven town hall. An exciting matter, especially for everyone who is concerned about the future of regional health facilities.
The text of the resolution, which acts as a “working basis”, stipulates that the existing hospital locations in Wilhelmshaven, Sanderbusch and Varel should be abandoned. The goal is clear: future-proof healthcare for the region. In contrast to the almost empty beds that can be found in many German hospitals according to a reform by Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, a new structure is to be created here that works more effectively and is financially sustainable.
Background and recommendations
The current financial difficulties of the clinics are the main reason for this merger. “We have to act,” says District Administrator Sven Ambrosy, who is working with Mayor Carsten Feist on a proposal for the joint resolution. WMC's feasibility study recommends building a joint clinic at a new location to ensure economic sustainability. A renovation report from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) warns of an annual deficit of up to 45 million euros if the existing facilities remain untouched. Therefore, the closure of the Varel hospital before the new clinic is completed could be a measure that should not be underestimated.
A direct result of the planned clinic structure would be the conversion of the Sanderbusch Nordwest Hospital into a specialist hospital with around 400 beds, while gynecology and obstetrics would be relocated to the Sande location. All of these measures not only offer the opportunity to bridge financial bottlenecks, but also to provide future-oriented solutions for patient care.
Public participation and outlook
If you would like to follow the meetings on July 2nd, you have several options: While on-site participation in both meetings is possible without registration, the district council meeting will also be broadcast online - registration by June 30th is required. Radio Jade also offers an audio broadcast of the city council meeting so that you can follow what the decision-makers are discussing from home.
The importance of the upcoming decision is underlined by the federal government's hospital reform, which requires concentration and cooperation - not least to secure rural health care. The reform is intended to ensure greater efficiency in the system and at the same time avoid longer waiting times for certain treatments in rural areas.
The decision on July 2nd will not only affect the regional hospital landscape, but will also affect the entire medical care of the population in Friesland and Wilhelmshaven. We can only hope that a good hand is demonstrated and that the elected representatives take the right steps to ensure high-quality healthcare.