The state of Hesse will support the majority-privatized university hospital in Gießen and Marburg with around 490 million euros over the next ten years.

The money is to flow into medical equipment and construction projects.

Both sides have extended the future agreement from 2017.

But a point of contention remains.

This emerges from a message to the staff of the UKGM clinic, which is available to the FAZ.

Thorsten Winter

Business editor and internet coordinator in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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The central Hessian clinic is the third largest of its kind in Germany and the only privatized university clinic.

At the beginning of 2006, the government under Roland Koch (CDU) parted with 95 percent of the shares and sold them to Rhön-Klinikum AG.

The background to this was an investment backlog in the three-digit million range that had arisen over the years due to underfunding on the part of the state.

But now there is a lack of money of a similar amount again.

Since the takeover, the majority shareholder has provided for a new central clinic and a new children's clinic at the Gießen site, which was previously heavily fragmented, as well as for new buildings in Marburg, including the particle therapy center for the treatment of certain types of cancer.

However, the large clinic has to shoulder considerable burdens.

Because the majority owner gave him loans for the investments.

The UKGM starts the financial year with a loss of almost 40 million euros every year.

UKGM is missing a three-digit million amount

In January, the Gießen clinic director Werner Seeger spoke in the FAZ with a call for help.

His key message: UKGM is suffering from an investment backlog.

The house is missing a three-digit million amount.

There is even a lack of money for necessary equipment.

In this respect, he was relieved in view of the declaration of intent, according to which the state wants to support the privatized university hospital in Gießen and Marburg with up to 45 million euros per year.

Seeger, like Rhön boss Christian Höftberger, takes the legal view that the UKGM – like all other university clinics and plan hospitals in Germany – is entitled to appropriate investment funding from the state.

"Discussions with the representatives of the state government showed that there are conflicting legal opinions.

We are still convinced that UKGM is also entitled to appropriate investment funding - as provided for in the principle of dual financing anchored in German hospital financing law," the internal statement says.

And: "A judicial clarification of this important issue would take many years and would be seen by the state as an unfriendly act." for judicial clarification.