DRK withdraws from clinic supply in Rhineland-Palatinate!

DRK withdraws from clinic supply in Rhineland-Palatinate!

In December 2022, the German Red Cross (DRK) reported bankruptcy for five clinics in Rhineland-Palatinate. The DRK state association is currently completely withdrawing from hospital care in RLP, which requires a profound rethink in the health landscape of the federal state. The decision was not easy, as Manuel González, Chairman of the Hospital Society and the State Board of the DRK in RLP, emphasized. The withdrawal was caught by the State Association Committee and the Presidium of the DRK in order to meet responsibility towards patients and employees. According to Ärztezeitung

In the current situation, the bankruptcy money helps to secure the salaries of the employees. However, it is pointed out that patient care at the affected locations remains secure at the usual high medical level. The withdrawal of the DRK from the hospital landscape also reflects the stricter economic situation of small hospitals, which is reinforced by the hospital reform of the traffic light coalition.

Effects of the hospital reform

The hospital reform is intended to improve medical care in Germany and, among other things, provide for a stronger specialization for smaller hospitals. According to Tagesschau , the Bundestag will react with the adoption of corresponding laws to the economic framework of the clinics, which bring about 30% of them into red numbers. The goal is to "develop" the hospitalization. Clinics must prove quality level and sufficient staff in order to be paid for their services. The DRK regional association has campaigned for the reciprocation of smaller hospitals, but does not see any way to maintain its hospital offers in view of the economic burdens.

With the retreat, the focus of the DRK in Rhineland-Palatinate is also clear. In the future, one will concentrate on the humanitarian core order and emergency rescue, while the problems in the hospital sector require a fundamental re -evaluation and structural adaptation. The future of health policy remains uncertain due to the tense financial situation.