German hospitals allowed to close due to energy crisis

BERLIN, 16 Oct – PRIME. Inflation and the energy crisis in Germany could lead to the closure of a considerable number of hospitals, German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said on Sunday.

“Hospitals are in a special situation. If we do not respond quickly and really decisively, they will be closed,” he said in an interview with ARD in the context of the current energy crisis and inflation.

On Tuesday, he and Finance Minister Christian Lindner will discuss the amount and procedure for the implementation of assistance to hospitals, but there is no question of creating a special fund, similar to what happened in the case of the Bundeswehr, he added.

“We cannot create a special fund for each region,” Lauterbach stressed.

After the start of a special military operation in Ukraine, the West stepped up sanctions pressure on Russia, which led to an increase in prices for electricity, fuel and food in Europe and the United States. At the same time, as Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out, the policy of containing and weakening Russia is a long-term strategy of the West, and sanctions have dealt a serious blow to the entire global economy.