Klaus Holetschek, Bavarian Minister of Health, speaks about the failures of the Federal Ministry of Health and appeals to Karl Lauterbach.
Munich – Bavaria’s Health Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) is currently looking at Berlin quite critically. In an interview, he explains what bothers him about the policies of Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD).
Mr. Holetschek, when was the last time you spoke to Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach?
Since there was no conference of health ministers over Easter, I last had the pleasure of exchanging digital information with Karl Lauterbach and colleagues from other countries on April 11th.
Klaus Holetschek: “Conference of Health Ministers not a nodding body”
What were these conversations about?
Of course, a lot of it was about the pandemic. And there was a clear discussion about how communication should be carried out within the health ministerial conference. You remember: Shortly before, the Federal Minister had withdrawn the new regulations on isolation that we had jointly decided on on a talk show. We states once again emphasized that the Conference of Health Ministers is not a nodding body, but welcomes the Federal Minister as a guest on an equal footing.
Do you also see a need for improvement in Berlin beyond communication?
I would like us to use the time over the summer to learn lessons from the corona pandemic and prepare in time for autumn. I think it is fatal that the Federal Ministry of Health only supports the urgently needed improvements in digitization in the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) with extreme restraint. And the big issues such as hospital financing or problems in care must not be put off for too long.
Klaus Holetschek calls for setting the course for care reform
Where exactly is Berlin braking?
For example, we have been calling for a federal-state working group to regulate medical care centers for some time. It’s about the important question of how much influence economically driven investors should have in the field of medical care centers – but nothing happened. With regard to the reform of hospital structures announced in the coalition agreement, the federal states urgently need to be involved at an early stage. There must be no dismantling of hospitals on the cold route past the countries. And in nursing, the course must now be set for a major reform so that nursing staff know that announcements will not stop if we are faced with a difficult situation again in autumn.
After all, Lauterbach has launched a care bonus.
But that is not a sustainable strengthening of care. We have called for the tax exemption for allowances – that would be the right measure to strengthen trust. We must do everything we can to show those who have just fought tirelessly for two years that we really mean business and make improvements. But this also requires improved working conditions – and the whole thing must be backed up with a timetable. I cannot see what structural changes Mr. Lauterbach is planning here.
Klaus Holetschek with an urgent appeal to Karl Lauterbach
Where do you still see a need for action?
You should at least make it clear when you want to tackle a reform of long-term care insurance. The coalition agreement contains a commitment to strengthening cross-sector care in several places, but unfortunately this is now missing from the work plan of Lauterbach’s ministry. In addition, there is a billion-dollar deficit in health insurance for recipients of unemployment benefit 2 because the federal government does not meet its contribution obligations. This deficit will increase significantly with the many displaced persons from the Ukraine who come to us and who are supposed to receive benefits from the statutory health insurance from June 1st. That has to be settled now, so that we don’t soon have a heated political discussion about sharply increasing additional contributions. Karl Lauterbach and the federal government must finally do their homework.
The interview was conducted by Sebastian Horsch.
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