Protest march for the hospital in Lidköping

A call on social media has gathered over 6,000 members who are worried about the future of Lidköping's hospital. Many of them met today for the march that passed between the hospital and New Town Square.

It is believed that the dismantling of the hospital in Lidköping has been going on for many years but never at such a rate as now.

"Yes, for many years they have lost weight in the smaller hospitals in Skaraborg and right now there is a centralization hysteria where you take from the small hospitals and move to the larger ones," says Emma Larsson, initiator of the protest march.

The background is a projected savings of SEK 250 million within Skaraborg's four hospitals. In a study, one of the savings proposals is to remove 21 out of 63 care places at the medical department at Lidköping Hospital and move some operations to Skövde.

- We have asked the operational management for savings proposals and we have received about ten measures, of which this is one. These are hypotheses that we want to test and test. There is no order to close 21 care centers. It's a hypothesis. We wonder if it will be possible, says Pär Johnson (L), chairman of the Board of Health.

As SVT West previously reported, healthcare staff in Lidköping have previously reacted strongly to the proposal, which it is thought could lead to the emergency reception at the resort disappearing and thus impairing patient safety.

- Actually, we demonstrate that we do not want to relocate the care sites, but if you see it indirectly if you remove 21 care sites - why should you have an emergency operation? Both doctors and nurses and people in general are worried about this, says Emma Larsson.

- I respect that concern, but there are no plans to move the emergency business in Lidköping. Should it be a direct or indirect effect of removing 21 care places, then we cannot make that decision, says Pär Johnson (L), chairman of the Board of Health.

- We hope you think about it. That you make a proper risk and impact assessment. Can you do something different? Why are it always the small hospitals that need to step on their feet? says says Emma Larsson, initiator of the protest march.

During the autumn, the final decisions will be made on how to save the 250 million. Skaraborg's hospitals include the hospitals in Skövde, Lidköping, Falköping and Mariestad.