New campus of the Magdeburg University Hospital: Danger of billions of construction project in danger?

New campus of the Magdeburg University Hospital: Danger of billions of construction project in danger?

At the University Hospital in Magdeburg, the symbolic groundbreaking ceremony for the new "Campus Zentralklinikum" was set on Monday, a project that is estimated with more than one billion euros. This extensive construction measure is the largest in the 70-year history of the university hospital. However, the financing of the project arouses many questions, especially in view of the debt brake, which limits the state of Saxony-Anhalt.

In order to avoid the financial hurdles, the real estate and project management company (IPS) was founded, which now acts as the client. This means that the country does not directly bear the construction costs, but the IPS, which assumes the legal responsibility of the project. The university clinic itself will live in the new buildings after construction, while the country has to take out loans at the same time to secure financing.

financing and criticism

The need to invest in the university clinic is not questioned by anyone, not even by the State Audit Office. "It is not about the question of whether the university clinic has an investment requirement, but about how the money is made available for it," explains the State Audit Office. This statement illustrates the core problem of the current situation: While an investment requirement exists, there is a lack of clear and transparent financing models.

Saxony-Anhalt is faced with the challenge of spending over a billion euros for the construction without violating the debt brake. Finance Minister Michael Richter (CDU), however, announced that the founding of the IPS offers a way to avoid this screw. "Of course, we also create an increase in assets," said Richter in an interview with MDR Saxony-Anhalt, which aims to ensure that the new buildings will bring economic benefits in the long term.

Future view and rental costing debate

The exact amount of the rental costs for the university hospital is still up for debate, but it is already unequivocally point out that these payments will be financially burdened with the clinic. Unimedizin in Magdeburg currently has annual losses in the middle double -digit million range. However, Santa Richter shows that these losses could drop by 20 million euros a year if the new central building replaces the scattered smaller buildings on the site.

The reactions to this financing model are mixed. The Greens in the state parliament in particular have expressed concerns. The financial policy spokesman Olaf Meister expressed that the university clinic may not be able to do the rent payments from his own resources. "That means that the state budget must step in for this sum," he warned of a potential financial imbalance.

Since the construction of the "Campus Zentralklinikum" is of central importance for medical care in the region, it remains to be seen how the financial situation will develop and whether the IPS model is sustainable in the long term. Critics call for more clarity in the financing strategy to ensure a healthy economic basis for the university hospital. Further information on this topic is on www.mr.de to read.