71 of the 74 clinic directors of the University Hospital Gießen and Marburg are pushing for a speedy agreement between the state of Hesse and Rhön Klinikum AG on long-term financing.

They see an agreement as a "touchstone" for the viability of privatization.

They also raise five claims against the two shareholders.

You would not only have to make the agreement "promptly", but also keep an eye on the "outstanding importance of these university hospitals for the medical care of the entire central Hessian region and beyond".

The clinic directors are also aiming for a fundamental turnaround in the financing of the university clinic in Gießen and Marburg: As in the case of other hospitals, the public sector must pay for investments.

However, the Ministry of Science and Rhön AG are arguing about this very point.

Thorsten Winter

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

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Science Minister Angela Dorn (Die Grünen) sees the professors' initiative as evidence of her view that Rhön AG must take responsibility.

The state government sees its position confirmed.

The Rhön representatives should return to the negotiating table.

However, unlike Rhön AG and the clinic directors, Dorn still sees no legal obligation for the state to invest in the large clinic.

The clinic, known as UKGM for short, has been largely privatized since February 2006;

the state still holds five percent after the sale to Rhön AG.

At the time, Germany's third-largest university hospital was suffering from an investment backlog in the three-digit million range, and the Gießen location was spread over more than 90 properties.

Since the sale, a lot has happened structurally in Gießen and Marburg, and the clinic has also created thousands of jobs.

However, the UKGM only financed the central new building in Gießen with loans from Rhön AG and now has to raise almost 40 million euros a year for interest and repayment.

And there is again a lack of money for medical devices and construction projects.

Again, there is talk of a three-digit million amount.

Because the state of Hesse currently only contributes a good eight million euros a year,

for both locations.

Basically, both shareholders agree: It can't stay like this.

Every year a good 40 million euros instead of eight million

Over a period of ten years, the state of Hesse will support the privatized university hospital in Gießen and Marburg with a total of 490 million euros for investments.

In return, the majority owner, Rhön Klinikum AG, is leaving the profits generated by the large hospital in central Hesse in operation, refraining from redundancies for operational reasons and not outsourcing any parts of the business.

This is what it says in the declaration of intent presented by Land und Rhön AG in January.

But a legally binding agreement is still a long way off.

The talks "are now coming to a standstill and are in danger of failing," the university teachers warn.