75 years of hospital care in Saarland: A look back at history!

75 years of hospital care in Saarland: A look back at history!

The Saarland Hospital Society (SKG) is celebrating its 75th birthday today. Since its founding, this institution has developed into an important representative of the interests of 18 existing hospitals in Saarland. A total of around 22,000 doctors and nursing staff work in these facilities, working every day to ensure the health of the population. The beginnings of health care in Saarland go back to the 15th century, when the first documented hospice, the Heilig-Kreuz-Spital in Saarbrücken, was founded in 1440. Almost 15 years later, the hospital in St. Wendel followed in 1455. Originally, these facilities were intended to offer medical care to those in need, with the treatment costs often being borne by poor funds and mining associations, as the Saarbrücker Zeitung reports.

With industrialization and the associated social change, the first hospital insurance policies emerged in the 18th century. This development ultimately led to the founding of the first Saarland miners' hospital in Neunkirchen in 1850, followed by further facilities in Sulzbach and Völklingen. Until the 20th century, wealthy classes were dependent on their family doctors, while a staggered three-tier system for self-payers was introduced for the poorer population.

Advances in hospital care

Over the years, the hospital landscape in Saarland has constantly developed. Technological advances, such as the introduction of steam central heating in the Völklingen Miners' Hospital or the X-ray machine in the Sulzbach Miners' Hospital in 1897, had a significant impact on the quality of medical care. These developments were particularly driven forward after the Second World War, when in 1946 there were already 36 hospitals with a total of 5,700 beds and had grown to 7,700 beds by 1950.

Particularly noteworthy is the Homburg State Hospital, which was rededicated as the Saarland University Hospital in 1948. Between 1960 and 1974, massive investments of over 500 million marks were made in Saarland's hospitals, which led to new buildings such as the St. Ingbert District Hospital and the Püttlingen Miners' Hospital. The peak number of hospital beds in Saarland was 13,500 in the 1970s, but there are currently only around 6,500 beds available.

Current challenges and future prospects

The hospital plan for Saarland is valid from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2025 and aims to ensure needs-based and high-quality hospital care. According to the Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Women and Family, the closure of the hospital location in Wadern is being taken into account and a planned increase in beds from 536 fully inpatient beds to a total of 6,902 is being sought.

The Saarland health insurance associations welcome the development of a new hospital plan that is based on the challenges of health care. A report by Aktiva Consulting in the Healthcare Industry has already provided initial findings that agree with a previous report by the Institute for Health Care Business. There is an urgent need for adjustment in the hospital landscape, particularly with regard to outpatient care and the efficient distribution of hospital beds. The bed density in Saarland is currently 668 beds per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to the national average of 563 beds.

In order to further improve healthcare, Saarland is also committed to cross-border healthcare with France and Luxembourg. The “MOSAR” agreement signed on June 12, 2019 is a first step in this direction to increase the quality of medical services and facilitate citizens' access to healthcare.

The coming years will be crucial in adapting hospital care in Saarland to modern requirements. The change towards structured and needs-based care requires the interaction of all players in the healthcare system, as the Saarland government and the health insurance associations jointly emphasize.