Dortmund (dpa / lnw) - Because of the drastic increase in costs in numerous areas, the Arbeiterwohlfahrt (AWO) sees the health and rehabilitation clinics in North Rhine-Westphalia in existential need. If the economic burdens from the corona pandemic and the worsening energy crisis are not absorbed by a rescue package, one has to fear for the continued existence of the facilities, said the AW Kur und recovery on Monday in Dortmund.
"In the third year of the pandemic, the spa and rehabilitation clinics can no longer finance the rising costs," said Managing Director Andreas Frank. According to initial estimates, the additional expenditure for energy alone for the seven NRW clinics in the current year would be a six-digit amount higher than in the previous year. Added to this are the rising food prices. In addition, on July 1, the corona aid for providers of preventive and rehabilitation services was canceled without replacement - although the infection process in the clinics continues to force strict and cost-intensive hygiene protection concepts. "Without solid compensation for the extraordinary additional expenses, we will lose prevention and rehabilitation clinics," predicts Frank.
According to him, the problems do not only affect AWO facilities, but all providers of rehabilitation and spa measures. They got increasingly into "financial difficulties". Should clinics have to close, there would be a “dramatic supply gap” in the important health sector.
Achim Schäfer, Managing Director of the Medical Center for Health (MZG) in Bad Lippspringe, said: "In the third year of the pandemic, including inflation and an explosion in energy costs, the conditions for many operators of preventive and rehabilitation clinics can no longer be met without financial support ."
In a joint appeal by AWO and MZG, it was said that the state government had set itself the goal of a future-oriented expansion of rehabilitation offers for this legislative period. Politicians and social service providers are therefore called upon to "find pragmatic solutions for the fastest possible extension of the rescue package retroactive to July 1st, taking into account the rising energy costs".
