Ten hospitals technically bankrupt: Parool
Friday 19 March 2010
At least 10 of the country's 85 hospitals are technically bankrupt and are considering legal action against the health ministry, the Parool reports on Friday.
The paper says the hospitals are being denied bank loans to pay off current refurbishment projects and new building has been halted.
The financial difficulties follow the withdrawal of government support for hospitals which have been ordered to embark on expensive renovation projects.
Hospital accountants are now refusing to approve their 2009 books, and without signed-off accounts, the hospitals cannot get bank loans to complete the work.
Roelf de Boer, chairman of the Dutch hospitals' association NVZ says the projects which have been put on ice could have generated hundreds of jobs. The NVZ is now considering legal action against health minister Ab Klink, the paper says
© DutchNews.nl
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Monday: Between 2º and 5º with light snow or sleet. Around zero at night. Similar Tuesday
Ah - the joys of privatizing medical care.
For a few years things stood up well, people were happy getting more money, lots of cash to keep any dissenters quiet.
Now as the damage from greed and corruption takes hold, what should have been the heart of social cooperation will turn into a bleeding mess of a corporate - public debacle.
Notice how they're already trying to change the admission criteria at medical schools to come up with more compliant and self-interested doctors.
It's hard to rob the people of their health care when you have people who really care in the doctor's position - but get someone in there only worried about billing more hours and cutting corners and all bets are off.
If you want to know the future of a privatized health system, go visit the emergency room waiting area of any big-city hospital in the US.
Let the penniless sick and working class poor tell you how well for-profit medicine works.
By Prince Burnhard | March 20, 2010 9:43 AM