Swiss hospitals are bleeding out

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When Alexander Stibal takes up the knife, it’s all about millimeters. The surgeon operates on the spine and nervous system at the hospital in Münsingen. But soon he would also be able to handle figures, bills and mountains of files. Doctor Stibal wants to buy the Münsingen BE hospital. Together with other doctors and an economist, politically supported by the mayors of the region.

The Insel Group wants to close the hospital in Münsingen, but a financial gap in the entire group forces it to do so. But Stibal says: “Münsingen needs its own hospital, if only because of the emergency operation. A 90-year-old grandmother cannot go alone to a hospital in Bern at night.”

Not an isolated case

Münsingen BE is not an isolated case. The Swiss hospital system is hanging by the hoses. The archipelago booked a minus of 80 million francs last year. That is why, in addition to Münsingen, the hospital in Tiefenau BE must also believe in it. About 200 employees are at risk of losing their jobs.

The canton of St. Gallen has already closed hospitals. So far it has yielded little. At the beginning of March, the hospitals of St. Gallen reported a total loss of CHF 53 million for 2022. The Canton Hospital Aarau also needs money. The canton must inject 240 million. For the responsible government councilor Jean-Pierre Gallati (56) there is no alternative, otherwise bankruptcy threatens.

Multiple reasons

The reasons for the misery are many. “There were certainly bad investments in some hospitals. In addition, there is the pandemic and generally low rates,” says health economist Simon Wieser from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. The Bundesrat demands that the cantons refrain from tariff increases. He fears even higher health insurance premiums.

The shortage of professionals does the rest. Nurses are in high demand, and when they are absent, temporary workers have to fill in. They are significantly more expensive, says Wieser. At least administrative staff can be saved with the hospital closures.

emergencies and operations

Despite all the problems: surgeon Stibal is convinced that there is profit to be made with the hospital in Münsingen. “Thanks to a streamlined organization we can work more efficiently.” He refers to the Emmental hospital, which is in black.

Stibal is also not afraid of the shortage of skilled workers. “There are enough capable staff in the hospital. We are convinced that the existing teams will stay with us.”

If the purchase goes through, Stibal and his colleagues want to provide normal hospital operations: “Together with the GPs, we provide a good 24-hour emergency service. There are many retirement homes in the area, so that is what is needed. Then there are the operations. These are necessary to make a hospital profitable. “The emergency rate is too low. You have to cross-finance the emergencies with operations.

Double-edged sword

The demand for higher hospital rates is not new. Rate increases are certainly helpful for the hospitals. “At a certain point you can no longer become more efficient,” says health economist Wieser. If the tariff costs for inpatient treatment are increased, the cantons will also have to pay more at the same time.

If the rates rise, this will also put pressure on health insurance premiums. They are already a huge burden for many people and are likely to increase again by some 7.5 percent in 2024, the Sunday Blick wrote.

The closures are likely to continue

The crisis in hospitals is therefore likely to intensify – and hospital closures will continue, says Wieser. “It certainly makes sense not to pay twice for the infrastructure. Patients also prefer to go to hospitals where operations are performed more often.”

Surgeon Stibal in any case wants to prevent the closure of Münsingen. Four years ago he tried to buy the hospital. At that point he was blown away. Negotiations with the hospital group are still ongoing, so everyone is cautious.

But even if Münsingen is closed: emergency care is basically guaranteed, says Gundekar Giebel, spokesperson for the Bern health department. The capacities of the Inselspital will be expanded and any calamity peaks will be absorbed.

One thing is already clear: if the takeover works, it must happen quickly. “We actually need more time to save the hospital,” says Stibal. Nevertheless, he is convinced that the Münsingen hospital should continue to exist. “If you have a life-threatening illness, it can quickly become very dangerous. That is why Münsingen needs a hospital.”

Source:Blick