City council decision to establish a city-run supply center to compensate for the shutdown of the Ettlingen urgent care facility
In a heated city council meeting, plans for a new medical care centre (MVZ) under municipal sponsorship in Ettlingen were approved. The MVZ, set to open by January 1, 2026, aims to secure primary care for at least three years and mitigate the expected increase in patients due to the closure of the emergency practice.
The MVZ will operate as a GmbH with the city of Ettlingen as the sole shareholder. Özcan Aydemir, the current director of the emergency practice, will lead the medical care centre. A loan of 150,000 euros will be provided for the initial phase due to planned financial losses in the first two years.
The city will provide a guarantee of up to 2.1 million euros to the MVZ, with the financial risk to be minimized by insurance. Walter Armbruster of the AfD stated that the MVZ stands or falls with the competence of the medical personnel, while Thomas Mölckel accused the city of exploiting the fear of medical undersupply to further expand the state's influence on citizens' lives.
The city council approved the MVZ plans with 17 yes, 1 no, and 7 abstentions. Notably, the FDP wants to abstain from voting on the MVZ plans, with Alena Fink-Trauschel stating that they cannot approve the MVZ with a clear conscience. The SHI's approval committee will now also have to vote on it on October 22nd.
The AfD criticizes the city plans, claiming that the positions of the two doctors were not publicly advertised and were not selected by the city council. Sebastian Becker, planned to be the managing director, stated that the MVZ will be a supplement to regular care, not a replacement. Mayor Johannes Arnold made it clear that Aydemir and his team are competent.
However, Anne Käding (Greens) has questioned the necessity of the MVZ. She expressed concerns about the financial risk involved, with Birgit Eyselen (FE/FW) agreeing that the risk is small. The city council has emphasized that the closure of the Ettlingen emergency practice is inevitable.
The person expected to be voted on by the SHI approval commission on October 22 to work as the second doctor in the planned MVZ in Ettlingen has not been publicly named. The MVZ will be open for 25 hours per week, with extended evening hours during the week and on Saturdays, but closed on Sundays.
The city administration's plans for the MVZ have sparked debate, with critics arguing that making the settlement of general practitioners more attractive could be a better solution. As the plans move forward, the focus remains on ensuring quality medical care for the citizens of Ettlingen.
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