Protest in Wittstock: Citizens defend themselves against hospital development!

Protest in Wittstock: Citizens defend themselves against hospital development!

in Wittstock, a city in the Brandenburg Ostprignitz-Ruppin, is boiling: On Thursday evening, July 24, 2025, several hundred inhabitants took to the streets to protest the planned closure of the KMG Hospital. The demonstration started at 5 p.m. in front of the town hall, where around 600 people gathered - 400 in seats and 200 standing. Among those present were not only residents and patients, but also local politicians who expressed their concern about the loss of an important medical facility. According to maz-online.de and discussion event planned in the town hall, to which Mayor Philipp Wacker had invited.

The reason for the resentment: The clinic management has announced that the Wittstock location will be given up by the end of 2026. According to a company meeting of the KMG clinics, the new requirements of the nationwide hospital reform, which is due to come into force in 2027, are the main reason for closure. This reform will no longer guarantee inpatient care in the region, the responsible persons warn. The affected specialist departments cardiology and gastroenterology are to be laid according to Pritzwalk, where the construction of cardiac catheter laboratories and the expansion of the intensive care unit are already planned. For example, the only hospital care in Wittstock, which currently only offers internal medicine, is being headed for an uncertain future, such as rbb24.de.

concerned citizens and support from politics

Mayor Wacker describes the closure as "very bad news" and demands that KMG and the Ministry of Health face the concerns of the citizens. These share concerns about the effects on medical care, especially for older and sick people who rely on continuous medical care. The lack of adequate offers could lead to higher disease loads, especially in rural regions, where there is often a precarious medical infrastructure, as bpb.de

In addition, numerous local politicians, including the mayors of Heiligengrabe and Rheinsberg, support the preservation of the hospital and underline its importance for the region. The alternatives that were discussed in the event include mobile care units, a medical care center or a polyclinic. KMG, on the other hand, explains that the relocation of location is necessary to ensure the basic supply in the region in the long term, as the resulting plans show. A large part of the 200 employees in Wittstock can therefore be continued in Pritzwalk and the nearby Kyritz.

Alternative concepts for health care

Minister of Health Britta Müller has also spoken out for alternative medical care offers. In view of the challenges that rural health care brings with it - such as large catchment areas, long travel routes and an aging population - innovative care approaches are required. Suggestions such as mobile service providers or the improvement of telemedical connections could be crucial to ensure health care for all population groups.

Another argument came from Sebastian Walter, the head of the Left, who warned that longer paths and delayed rescue times could go hand in hand with the closure. He suggests that the hospital location may be taken over by the country. In Neuruppin, too, the Ruppin-Brandenburg University Hospital is to create additional treatment capacities to increase patient care. Current information about the care of patients from Wittstock show that they will receive an appointment within a few days - but this cannot hide the fact that many are dependent on inpatient care.

The situation remains tense and the demands for transparent communication on the part of those responsible become louder. A petition against the closure has already been launched and can be signed during the protest event. The next few weeks will be crucial to see how health care will develop in Wittstock.