Bielefeld Clinic supports the DKG and KGNW campaign
09.09.2022 16:35
In view of the tense economic situation and the extreme price increases, the German Hospital Society (DKG) and the KGNW are jointly warning of the increasingly heavy burdens on the Republic's hospitals and are urgently calling for short-term inflation compensation.
“The current year presents us with enormous challenges. We are currently preparing for 2023 and have no planning security due to the war-related energy crisis. Inflation, massive increases in energy costs, and the effects of the war in Ukraine are parameters with which we could not plan. Unfortunately, the hospital financing rules for operating costs for 2022 and 2023 do not take this massive cost increase into account at all. It is a completely new situation for hospitals in the republic. In addition, politicians have lost sight of the system-relevant hospitals. For the Bielefeld Clinic alone, the current situation means a drastic additional burden of 3.3 million euros in the area of electricity and gas for 2022 and even 8.5 million euros for 2023; due to inflation, there will be around 6 million in material costs In addition, the food supply alone has a price increase of 11.5%,” comments Klinikum Bielefeld managing director Michael Ackermann on the current situation.
“We therefore support the DKG and KGNW campaign, which calls for inflation compensation for hospitals in the Federal Republic!”
Galloping inflation has been causing significant economic problems for citizens and of course also for hospitals for weeks. Goods that are essential for hospital operations have become enormously more expensive. The rapidly increasing energy costs are also contributing to this, as hospitals naturally have a high energy requirement.
“These enormous cost increases are difficult for a hospital to cope with because we cannot simply pass on additional costs like industry and business can,” says managing director Michael Ackermann, commenting on the situation.
“Without drastic measures, the costs can hardly be brought under control. We may also be facing another Corona autumn. How are we supposed to ensure patient care without a reasonable infrastructure? Politicians must act in this situation. “Clapping” alone won’t help,” Ackermann continued.
“In this situation, the hospitals need inflation compensation and further Corona aid. At the end of June, all federal Corona aid for hospitals expired. There is currently no budget to refinance the additional costs for hygiene, isolation and treatment. And hospitals are also struggling with staff shortages due to corona, which in turn leads to service restrictions. More than two years of pandemic have placed massive demands on hospitals in terms of personnel and finances. Politicians must accept their responsibility,” comments the managing director of the Bielefeld Clinic.