Erfurt (dpa/th) - According to the Thuringia State Hospital Association (LKHG), a cost explosion triggered by inflation and the corona pandemic is endangering hospital care in the Free State. The massive cost increases that have occurred in the past few months could not be passed on in the specified price and remuneration system via price adjustments, as is the case with other companies, the LKHG announced on Thursday in Erfurt. Therefore, the hospitals need quick help in the form of an inflation surcharge.
Suppliers are currently levied surcharges of between 5 and 20 percent for all procurements such as food, medicines, medical products, IT products and services. Companies could pass on such cost increases to the end consumer, but the clinics could not, despite unavoidable costs, it said.
"Without immediate action by the federal government, the hospitals run the risk of only being able to counter this cost pressure by downsizing, outsourcing and reducing the range of care offers up to and including site closures," said LKHG Managing Director Rainer Poniewaß according to the announcement. Such a development urgently needs to be stopped.
