Stuttgart (dpa / lsw) - Employees of the Mannheim University Hospital have demonstrated for close cooperation with the Heidelberg University Hospital. "We demand the closest possible cooperation because that makes existing and future jobs more attractive," said works council chief Ralf Heller on Thursday in Stuttgart. After two years of discussion, a fundamental decision on close cooperation was overdue.
According to Heller, 350 employees had gathered in the state capital to draw attention to their concerns during the budget deliberations in the state parliament. It is still unclear whether a merger or an association of the clinics is preferable. The aim, however, is for the state to take over the Mannheim clinic and thus enter into the financing that is usual for university clinics. So far, the hospital has been under municipal sponsorship and has been in the red for years.
Heller also called for clarity from the state about the costs of a network or other forms of cooperation. The two billion euros mentioned by Finance Minister Danyal Bayaz (Greens) for restructuring are incomprehensible.
The Heidelberg University Hospital has almost 2,600 beds and a good 86,000 inpatients and more than a million outpatients a year. With 10,700 employees, it is the largest employer in the region. Around 4,300 employees work in the Mannheim building. They treat nearly 45,000 inpatients and over 170,000 outpatients.
