Canton of Fribourg votes on the future of its hospital
Published: Wednesday, Apr 24th 2024, 09:40
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The people of Fribourg will vote on the future of their cantonal hospital on June 9. The constitutional initiative "For citizen-oriented public hospital emergency admissions 24/24" and its counter-proposal as well as financial aid in favor of the hospital will be put to the vote.
The hospital emergency room initiative calls for the decisions to convert the emergency rooms in Riaz and Tafers into Permanences to be reversed. The obligation to have a public emergency room open around the clock should be enshrined in the cantonal constitution.
According to the initiative committee, emergency departments in the south, in the center and in the German-speaking part of the canton, whose population prefers to be treated in Bern, would avoid ambulance costs and preserve jobs. This would also relieve the pressure on Fribourg as a location.
The initiative committee is critical of the counter-proposal of the Grand Council and the State Council. In it, the authorities have worked with healthcare professionals to develop seven measures that would provide adequate care for all emergencies throughout the canton and involve the partners in the healthcare system.
Counter-proposal uncontroversial in parliament
The State Council can count on the almost unanimous support of the Grand Council, which adopted the counter-proposal with 96 votes in favor, none against and 1 abstention. The difficulty of implementing the initiative was emphasized in the lively debates. According to the State Council, the measures in the counter-proposal should ensure rapid access to adequate care.
The counter-proposal is also cheaper than the initiative. It is associated with annual costs of CHF 7.2 million. The initiative, on the other hand, would cost CHF 11 to 13 million annually and would also require investments of CHF 37 million for medical-technical equipment and real estate infrastructure.
Financial aid for cantonal hospital
Also on June 9, the canton of Fribourg will vote on financial aid for the Fribourg Cantonal Hospital (HFR). The decree was approved in the Grand Council by 99 votes to 3. It is subject to a mandatory referendum and includes a guarantee of 105 million for investments from 2024 to 2026 as well as a loan of 70 million for the planning of the future main site, which is located near the current site in Villars-sur-Glâne.
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