BERLIN/OSNABRÜCK (dpa-AFX) - Physicians' organizations are calling for additional financial aid for hospitals in the short term to avert bankruptcies. "The risk of insolvency for many hospitals is increasing with exploding costs, staff shortages and consequently reduced case numbers," reads a letter from the Marburger Bund and the Association of Senior Hospital Doctors (VlK) to Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) and his state colleagues, which is available to the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung" (Monday). The reform of the hospital landscape planned by Lauterbach will only succeed if a hospital death is averted in the meantime. "Therefore, a resumption of the financial stabilization measures of the clinics by the federal government, states and health insurance companies is the order of the day."

Only on Tuesday, the hospital association had warned that according to a new survey, only six percent of hospitals describe their current economic situation as good. Only 20 percent expected a positive result for 2022.

Lauterbach had held out the prospect of billions in support for hospitals in November in view of inflation and high energy costs. In addition, he plans a major reform to free hospitals from economic pressure at the expense of patients and staff. The basis for the legislative plans is to be the concept of a government commission, which recommends significant changes to the system of remuneration via flat rates for treatment cases. The experts propose that clinics be remunerated according to new criteria - including a guaranteed share for the provision of services alone.

According to the newspaper report, the doctors' associations are hoping for a signal from the next meeting of health ministers this week. In the debate about Lauterbach's far-reaching reform proposals, the current plight of the clinics is in danger of being pushed into the background, fear Marburger Bund and VlK.

In the long term, for example, bureaucratic burdens would have to be reduced to what is absolutely necessary. "Halving the documentation burden would make the hourly equivalent of 32,000 full-time positions available for patient care in the medical field alone," Marburger Bund and VlK calculate./toz/DP/zb