After internal criticism: Einsiedeln accuses hospital staff of ‘stupid’ and ‘cowards’

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Einsiedeln district clerk Patrick Schönbächler has clearly changed his mind: when asked by Blick last week, he felt unable to comment on events at Einsiedeln Hospital. Now the district is making a U-turn and sending a message on the issue, giving dissatisfied hospital staff a wide berth.

The district writes that an unnamed group of employees “unfortunately causes unrest on a regular basis.” The statement says the actions of the whistleblowers who dared to go public with their stories last week were “cowardly” and “stupid.”

District does not intervene – canton intervenes

“Operational criticism must be constructive and internal,” representatives of the authority under Patrick Schönbächler continue to write, thus implicitly advocating that the public remain in the dark about the conditions at Einsiedeln Hospital.

So far, the hospital has not revealed “any reason for the district to intervene.” The situation was completely different in the canton of Schwyz, which inspected the hospital: It carried out the first detailed inspection in November 2022, resulting in a report of approximately 130 pages containing specific requests for the hospital. At the beginning of November this year, the canton visited the hospital again to check the progress. “We are challenged when we hear complaints,” said responsible Schwyz medical director Damian Meier (49) in the Blick interview, but assured that patient safety was not at risk.

Lots of business and financial turmoil

The region’s intentions are clear: Einsiedeln Hospital, managed by the private hospital group Ameos, is the largest employer in the region, employing more than 350 people. The region, Ameos and the Einsiedler Foundation Hospital Maria zum darken Wald are intricately interconnected around hospital operations. In addition to preserving jobs, the district also has a direct financial interest in the hospital’s survival: in the event of bankruptcy, it would have to write off millions of dollars in loans and guaranteed loans.

A Blick article last week caused a stir: Several senior (former) employees of the hospital went public with serious allegations. Staff turnover at the hospital is so high that they doubt whether patient safety is still guaranteed. Hospital operator Ameos defended himself and denied all allegations.

What is indisputable is that the maternity ward at Einsiedeln Hospital has been closed for months due to lack of staff. According to the current plan, it should reopen at the beginning of 2024. However, what is noteworthy is that midwifery positions are still advertised at Einsiedeln Hospital; The position can be started “immediately or by appointment.” It is not yet known whether it will be possible to recruit and train enough staff within a month to reopen the maternity ward. The district has been putting its hands on its back for so long that the statement said, “The district council calls for calm, patience and solidarity in our hospital.”

Source :Blick