Bernburg. District Administrator Markus Bauer welcomes the current political debate in the state parliament on inpatient healthcare in Saxony-Anhalt. “It is important that, as a society, we continually address the question of how public services in this area—which is so vital to the population—should be organised.”
Due to the current situation in the Salzland district with regard to the cooperation between the district administration and clinic operator AMEOS, the Left Party parliamentary group had submitted a motion calling on the state government to support the Salzland district. Following the debate, the motion was referred to the relevant committees.
In this context, District Administrator Markus Bauer expressed his thanks for the predominantly clear political signal sent out by the debate, which had already been sent to him by Minister President Sven Schulze and Minister of the Interior Dr Tamara Zieschang. "None of us in the Salzland district wanted this development. It is therefore all the more important that we are not alone in this matter."
At the same time, the District Administrator criticised Health Minister Petra Grimm-Benne. "In this situation, nobody wants to hear from the person politically responsible for health in Saxony-Anhalt that she is not responsible. I say: we all have a shared responsibility for society in such an exceptional situation." In this regard, the district administrator refers to the cooperation with the Salzland district council. "I am regularly in close dialogue with all parliamentary groups. This kind of very trusting cooperation is extremely important."
Meanwhile, Markus Bauer considers the cooperation and statements made by SPD parliamentary party leader Katja Pähle during the recent debate in the state parliament to be unworthy. "A mere statement on legal matters doesn't help anyone in this situation. Instead, everyone needs to do their homework. At the very least, this includes engaging in dialogue with us. I simply expect that."
The District Administrator emphasises: "I know my responsibility! I have to comply with the law. This includes reliable healthcare in the Salzland district on the basis of the state hospital law - together with the current hospital operator, but in case of doubt also without it. This also includes asserting outstanding claims that have been confirmed by the highest court. After all, we are talking about money that belongs to the general public in the Salzland district."
Last summer, the Federal Court of Justice confirmed the judgement of the Naumburg Higher Regional Court, according to which the Salzland district is entitled to a second purchase price instalment of 3.8 million euros plus interest on the basis of the purchase agreement. Over 6.8 million euros are now due. As the clinic operator has failed to fulfil the claim stipulated in the purchase agreement despite several requests for payment from the Salzland district, the district administration has necessarily initiated enforcement proceedings. The Salzland district has turned to the guarantor named in the purchase agreement, which is based in Switzerland, because the clinic operator has stated that it has the material ability to pay there.
In this context, Markus Bauer rejects statements by the Minister that she has so far had no evidence of the closure of hospital sites in the Salzland district. The district administrator states that he personally informed the then Minister President Dr Reiner Haseloff and Health Minister Grimm-Benne in the State Chancellery last November about the current situation at the time with regard to the written statements from the local clinic operator. "I sought dialogue at an early stage so that all those politically responsible could better prepare together for a scenario that, according to the clinic operator, was clearly on the cards at the time. After that, I heard nothing more from the Minister of Health in particular!"
The district administrator also rejects the health minister's statement that the state government was not involved in the sale of the Salzland clinics. "It is true that several ministers and the state administration office were involved at the time due to some ambiguities in the sales process." In addition, the sale of the municipal clinics in the Salzland district was also due to the generally applicable framework conditions, for the organisation of which politicians at federal and state level were and are responsible.
District Administrator Markus Bauer has recently called on the Health Minister in particular to stop hiding behind her sole responsibility for hospital planning in the state, and instead to commit herself to providing reliable public services for the citizens of the Salzlandkreis. “We must not jeopardise public trust in the state. Providing reliable healthcare is one of the most important tasks facing political leaders.”