"This day is cause for great joy," said SHG Managing Director Bernd Mege, welcoming those present in the clinic's conference room on the occasion of the visit by Rhineland-Palatinate's Minister President Malu Dreyer, who had a multi-million euro funding decision in her luggage. The state of Rhineland-Palatinate is supporting the new extension to the Idar-Oberstein Clinic with a total of 108.5 million euros, which will be built on the former laundry site and dock onto the existing building.
"I am delighted that the Idar-Oberstein hospital site has received one of the highest amounts of funding from the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in the hospital sector. This is money well spent, for which we would like to thank you, Minister President. With the realization of the new extension, we will also be able to guarantee a high quality of care for the people in the Upper Nahe region in the future," continued Mege.
"It is with great pleasure that I have come to Idar-Oberstein today to hand over the funding decision from the state amounting to over 108 million euros. The state is thus providing 90 percent of the funding for the new extension to the Idar-Oberstein Clinic and today we are jointly giving the go-ahead for a construction project that will open a new chapter for the Idar-Oberstein Clinic. The state government is very keen to support the development of hospitals into sustainable and climate-friendly healthcare facilities. And it is fair to say that the new building will also set new standards in terms of sustainability. For example, it has been possible to construct part of the building using modular timber construction, the building envelope will meet passive house standards and photovoltaic modules will be integrated on the roof and façade. The state and the Idar-Oberstein Clinic are thus jointly embarking on the path to a climate-friendly future," said Minister President Malu Dreyer.
"We were and are a reliable partner at the side of the hospitals and we know what we have in "our" hospitals. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank all nursing staff, medical staff and everyone else working in hospitals for their tireless efforts on behalf of patients," said the Minister President.
Administrative Director Hendrik Weinz on the planned new building: "After 50 years here at the site, we not only need new rooms for patients, but also rooms that enable new and more concentrated workflows and processes for our staff. In view of the existing shortage of specialists in the healthcare sector, which we are also clearly feeling in Idar-Oberstein, this is of enormous importance. The funding from the state enables us to align the region's healthcare and hospital structure with the latest standards for care and medicine."
Medical Director Dr. Ulrich Frey also expressed his enthusiasm: "I am delighted that the state government is demonstrating with this forward-looking funding the indispensable importance it attaches to the hospital in Idar-Oberstein for healthcare in our region."