National Council insists on intercantonal hospital planning
Published: Wednesday, Sep 25th 2024, 12:00
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The Federal Council, together with the cantons, should work towards intercantonal hospital planning based on the principle of "decentralized concentration". The National Council is calling for this in view of the difficult financial situation of some hospitals.
On Wednesday, it adopted a motion by Christian Lohr (center/TG) by 128 votes to 60, with four abstentions. It will now go to the Council of States.
Time and again, the public sector, and therefore taxpayers, have to come to the aid of financially strapped hospitals, explained Lohr. More concentration is also needed due to staff shortages and for the benefit of highly specialized medicine. "Keeping hospitals alive artificially is a dead end."
Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider conceded that there was potential for hospital concentration, but referred to the responsibility of the cantons. When drawing up their hospital lists, they would have to consider the potential for concentration not only on their own territory, but also beyond cantonal borders.
The Federal Council also did not want to pre-empt a report on hospital planning that it is currently working on. Parliament had requested this in 2019 with a postulate.
©Keystone/SDA
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