Rings around Freital: Clinic closures and protests concern the city

Rings around Freital: Clinic closures and protests concern the city

Freital, Deutschland - In Freital and the surrounding area, people are currently facing some massive challenges. The closure of the children's and women's clinic at the Weißeritztal Clinic causes violent discussions. On December 1, 2024, the time had come: birth station and gynecology were closed, which met with massive protests in the population. In the meantime, the debate about receiving the clinic has flared up again. Current reports from MDR show that the voter association conservative middle has brought in an application in the district council to negotiate the reopening of the affected stations. In addition, a possible takeover of the clinic is discussed by the district.

The Helios Group, which is responsible for the closure, referred the pregnant women and sick children affected to the Helios Clinic in Pirna, which is around 30 kilometers away, from June 19, 2025. Recently, several hundred people in Freital demonstrated for the preservation of the clinic, while Mayor Uwe Rumberg (independent) expressed sharp criticism of late information about the closure plans. The serious background is that around 120,000 people in the region are directly affected by this closure. Rumberg and other mayors have turned to the Saxon state government in an open letter and are calling for a rethink.

resentment about promise and legislation

The closure is considered a hard blow for the citizens by many. Patients now have to accept longer journey routes in emergencies, which is particularly worrying. The Dippoldiswald Hospital, which had to close almost a year ago, also had a major impact on medical care in the region, although at that time it was advertised with the prospect of expanding the clinic in Freital. The development of the birth rate also speaks a clear language: from 500 births in 2019, the numbers fell to around 200. This raises questions whether economic interests have not also played a role here, because the closure had reported according to reports from the No purely economic reasons.