Bernhard Amann:

“The shit has hit the fan at Maria Ebene”

Once again, those responsible at Maria Ebene are facing criticism.(Bild: Mathis Fotografie)

Fatal wrong decisions, shortage of specialists and doctors, too few places: Bernhard Amann, chairman of the drug counseling center "Ex und Hopp", makes serious accusations against the members of the board of trustees of Maria Ebene. They are astonished by Amann's statements.

"The shit is hitting the fan at Maria Ebene Hospital and the Board of Trustees is watching," criticizes Bernhard Amann. He considers the closure of the Lukasfeld therapy ward to be a fatal mistake. This was done without professional necessity and only because of the shortage of specialists at home and with the argument that treatment for other addictions was "modern". "All experts from other federal states were unable to understand this measure," he emphasizes.

Amann also criticizes the fact that access to the only outpatient addiction clinic in the country is limited to one and a half days a week. There are also too few specialist doctors and nursing staff. "Due to staff shortages, only 40 to 50 of 63 beds were and are occupied." The members of the board of trustees have accepted this situation for six years now and have not fulfilled their supervisory duties in any way. Amann is therefore calling for the resignation of the board of trustees and a reorganization with "competent people".

The Foundation reacted with irritation and surprise at the statements made by the system partner. The figures cited by Amann are also incomprehensible: "Up to 83 patients are constantly being cared for in our facilities. Inpatient occupancy was even increased to around 90 percent last year," it said in a statement. Furthermore, not a single bed has had to be closed in the past five years.

Professionally correct and important
Primary physician Philipp Kloimstein still considers the integration of the Lukasfeld therapy ward into Maria Ebene to be professionally correct and important. "The staff also benefit from the associated advantages," he emphasizes. Especially in times of a shortage of specialists and doctors, which by no means only affects Maria Ebene, this is not entirely unimportant. And as far as the outpatient addiction clinic is concerned, it had already been converted to an outpatient appointment clinic during the pandemic. Coordinated appointment allocation is a benefit for patients and makes internal staff planning easier.

From the point of view of those responsible at Maria Ebene, there is room for improvement with regard to the search for contact partners: "The jungle of services with different system partners and quality requirements is a central starting point for improvements from an addiction medicine and specialist medical point of view." The doors are always open for constructive suggestions and discussions.