Karl Lauterbach (SPD), Federal Minister of Health, must finally give the clinics concrete help.
Photo: dpa/ Bernd von Jutrczenka
What is expected of the employees in the Berlin clinics, who are exhausted by the corona crisis, staff shortages and collective bargaining, is no longer a cowhide. It commands a great deal of respect that they now also feel compelled to remind the Federal Minister of Health, with weeks of protests, that it is his job to set up a very, very specific rescue package so that health care does not have to be re-examined which it can only survive with the greatest damage.
The clinics have excellently trained employees and they certainly have very good medical technology. But some of the houses are dilapidated, not to mention an energetic renovation that could at least offset some of the expected high costs. In a hospital, the temperature cannot simply be turned down like in a swimming pool – especially since that is also something to criticize in terms of public services.
“We want a special fund for the clinics, not just for the Bundeswehr,” shouted one of the protesting employees in front of the stage of the Berlin hospital association on Thursday at their rally under the motto “Red Alert!”. A simple and simple requirement and a very sensible one at that. As quickly as these 100 billion euros were decided in February, no one could see. But when it comes to threatened health care, things remain silent. There is not much time for the rescue trip. Hopefully the hospital movement will gain momentum again before this scandal – preferably nationwide. The collective bargaining and strikes in Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia have finally shown what it can achieve.
