the Federation of Private Hospitalization denounces “the closures of establishments and services” due to financial difficulties

“40%” private hospital establishments are in deficit, estimated Tuesday February 20 on France Inter Lamine Gharbi, president of the Federation of Private Hospitalization, which figures at “670 million euros” the overall amount of this deficit. Lamine Gharbi emphasizes that these difficulties concern “all sectors”. He mentions in particular “obstetrics, surgery, medicine [générale]rehabilitation or psychiatry” who are experiencing a loss of activity.

For the president of the FHP, private hospitals and clinics have “the same difficulties as the public sector”. The only difference, according to him, is that “when a public hospital is in deficit, the State plays its role as shareholder by making up the deficit”. “When we are in deficit, it is the shareholder who must bail out except that today we can no longer”, he laments. He thus ensures that these financial difficulties lead to “closures of establishments and services”.

Asked about the financing of the private hospital, Lamine Gharbi explains that “the two main groups” represented in its Federation, “are the Ramsay and Elsan groups, representing 40% of the members”. He maintains that these two private groups “have not distributed any dividends for more than fifteen years”.

Faced with this general observation, the president of the Federation of Private Hospitalization appeals to the government, and pleads for “equal treatment” between the private sector and the public sector. He also calls for more resources. Lamine Gharbi recalls that “the means” private “are assigned by the government” but are “insufficient in relation to inflation”. “We are asking the government to review the price allocation of our establishments”he adds.