Mammoth investments for Kirchen Hospital: 40 million euros planned!

Mammoth investments for Kirchen Hospital: 40 million euros planned!

In the Altenkirchen district, massive investments are being made for the hospital in Kirchen. The district council will decide on Monday about a contract with Diakonie in Südwestfalen, which is planned as a possible new sponsor of the insolvent DRK Hospital. Initially 14.5 million euros are planned, but it is expected that the actual investments will be significantly higher. Diakonie estimates the renovation costs at around 40 million euros, while a complete general renovation could cost up to 80 million euros. This is reported by the Siegen newspaper.

The state of Rhineland-Palatinate is expected to cover 60 to 90 percent of the investment costs. The renewal of medical technology is particularly urgent, for which 5.7 million euros have been earmarked, as the current equipment is considered outdated. In addition to the medical investments, the construction of the hospital's own IT system is also estimated to cost up to 6.8 million euros. However, it remains unclear when exactly the financing and the planned improvements for patients can be realized. The district finds itself in the unfortunate situation that short-term investments cannot be financed from the current budget and a supplementary budget must be drawn up.

Support for the new carrier

The support for Diakonie as the new provider of the insolvent hospital also includes loss absorption for the months March to May and start-up financing from June 1st. The current subsidy is planned until December 31, 2026, with up to 10 million euros planned for 2025 and a further 5.76 million euros for 2026. The potential new carrier confirms its interest in the takeover, but no further details will be published as discussions with the insolvency administrator are ongoing. The Diakonie in South Westphalia, which also operates two other clinics, cares for around 70,000 patients every year.

The hospital in Kirchen is one of ten DRK hospitals in Rhineland-Palatinate that are currently going through insolvency proceedings. The DRK regional association withdrew from the hospital sector at the beginning of February, which made the current measures necessary. The district administrator Dr. Peter Enders was authorized to negotiate the future of the location with the insolvency administrator and the Diakonie. The state classifies the location as relevant to supply and the Diakonie has also signaled interest in taking over the nursing school in churches.

The district attorney Norbert Schmauck expressed the hope that the hospital will be self-sustaining again from the end of 2026. To finance the initial phase of the takeover, the district plans to use liquidity loans. The targeted investments and the search for a stable operator are of crucial importance in order to sustainably secure medical care in the region. Information from the kma online point out the complex challenges the district is currently facing.