To restore confidence: Lucerne establishes basic hospital facilities

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After the first reading, Parliament approved a proposal from its Committee on Health, Labor and Social Security (Gask) by 88 votes to 13. The Gask was obliged to develop the bill through individual parliamentary initiatives.

The decision of the cantonal council stipulates in the hospital law that adequate outpatient and inpatient basic and emergency care must be offered at the three Luks locations in Lucerne, Sursee and Wolhusen.

The new regulation also defines what is meant by basic and emergency care. This includes in particular internal medicine, general surgery, gynecology and obstetrics, anesthesia, intensive care monitoring and an interdisciplinary emergency department with 24-hour availability.

The reason for the innovation was that basic care is not sufficiently defined today. It is about restoring the confidence of the population in Luks and politics, which was disrupted during the discussions about the new construction in Wolhusen.

The government council initially spoke out against detailed regulation of basic and emergency care in the law, but subsequently accepted Gask’s proposal. Good communication is also necessary to create trust, says health director Michaela Tschuor (middle).

Tschuor reiterated that the Wolhusen hospital is “relevant to healthcare”. The Luks have also started construction of the new building. There are therefore liabilities, she said, to those who fear a reduction in healthcare in Entlebuch and its hinterland.

The FDP was not entirely happy with the new legal provisions. The faction would have liked to see a solution that would give Luks more flexibility, according to Jacqueline Theiler. The FDP supports the Gask design in the sense of a compromise.

The GLP was not prepared to do so. The discussion about which hospital location offers what is important, but does not belong in the law, according to Riccarda Schaller. Supply pressure is preventing Luks from developing further. The aim should be to prevent not only undersupply, but also oversupply.

Jörg Meyer (SP) also spoke out against the Gask proposal because it would not solve the problems of healthcare in the peripheral areas. Regional bases and networks are needed. “Why are we so focused on hospitals?” he asked.

It is clear that the Wolhusen Hospital’s uncovered costs will increase as a result of the legal catalog of offers and will generally have to be borne by the canton as compensation for the public service. The canton council will decide in second reading whether it should cover this in full, as the SP would like, or whether the amount of compensation should be determined in the budget process.

On Tuesday, the SVP also presented its popular initiative to secure emergency and basic care for inpatients in the canton of Lucerne. The party wants to decide after the second reading whether it will be withdrawn. This popular initiative was also launched through the discussions about Wolhusen. (SDA)

Source:Blick