Future of the Friesland clinics: District council will decide on July 2nd!

Future of the Friesland clinics: District council will decide on July 2nd!

On July 2nd, the district council in Horumersiel will be faced with a groundbreaking decision: the future of the Friesland clinics will be on the agenda. Politicians from various parties are already commenting on the upcoming changes. The Bundestag members Siemtje Möller (SPD), Anne Janssen (CDU) and Martin Sichert (AfD) have different views on the far-reaching plans for the hospital landscape in the region. One thing is clear: the challenges are great.

Siemtje Möller emphasizes the need to operate the hospitals in the Friesland district in the long term. She sees a central clinic as a sensible step, but calls for medical care to be guaranteed during the transition phase. It draws attention to the problem of the changed legal situation and internal difficulties and warns against hasty closures. It also highlights the important role of gynecological and obstetric care at the Varel location. This was also confirmed by nwzonline.de.

Anne Janssen is just as committed when it comes to optimal medical care for Friesland and Wilhelmshaven. She sees the construction of a new central clinic as a historic opportunity and is in favor of establishing a medical care center (MVZ) with the city of Varel. She also emphasizes the importance of the financial framework and minimum case numbers in health care and calls for immediate discussions on the design of the MVZ. Financial difficulties seem to be a pressing issue at all three clinic locations, as kma-online.de reports.

Financial challenges and reforms

The hospital landscape in Lower Saxony, especially in Friesland and Wilhelmshaven, is facing a fundamental reform. The renowned consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) has prepared two reports that analyze the financial difficulties of hospital operations. It is recommended to abandon the St. Johannes Hospital in Varel and bundle all services in Sande. This could significantly reduce the Friesland Clinics' forecast annual deficit, which currently stands at 25 million euros. Statistically, it could even drop to almost zero if the Varel hospital no longer operates. The plan in Sande would be to develop a specialist hospital with around 400 beds, although gynecological and obstetric services would have to be given up.

Mike Martin Sichert from the AfD expresses concern and appeals to the district council to consider the possible consequences of “medical clear-cutting”. He criticizes increasing waiting times in emergency rooms and the overload of existing hospitals. He also sees the need to consider additional medical services for the aging population.

Investments in the future

In order to improve the general conditions, Lower Saxony is planning major investments in the hospital infrastructure. Health Minister Andreas Philippi (SPD) spoke of an investment program of over 500 million euros to reduce the investment backlog and advance the measures that have already been started. This package represents the largest in the hospital sector and is intended to promote both the construction of new central hospitals and the modernization of existing facilities. In addition to general renovations, preventative measures are also necessary to make the clinics' properties future-proof, as ndr.de reports.

The upcoming decisions in the district council are more than just meetings. They are the key to the region's medical future. It remains to be seen whether the necessary reforms and investments can overcome the challenges. On July 2nd, the eyes of the citizens will be firmly focused on Horumersiel.