Overview
- Helios told roughly 270 employees that inpatient operations at the Zerbst clinic will cease on December 19, with the outpatient center and parts of the emergency area to continue and potentially expand.
- The company says it will discuss job options for all affected staff at other Helios locations following the closure decision.
- State health officials and the Anhalt-Bitterfeld county are in talks with Helios, with the minister stating the shared goal is to secure care structures in the region.
- A Helios spokesperson indicated emergency patients will be distributed to surrounding hospitals once beds close, heightening concerns about longer travel for urgent care.
- Local leaders and professional bodies condemned the abrupt process, with Zerbst’s mayor decrying a “salami tactic,” the Left warning of lasting gaps after past closures, and the medical chamber urging a clear plan that preserves basic care.