The German government will cover the costs for corona patients from the European Union (EU) who are treated in Germany, health minister Jens Spahn told Monday Politico.
About two hundred seriously ill corona patients from other European countries are in German hospitals, including Italians, French and 51 Dutch. Germany has one of the highest numbers of beds in intensive care units (ICs) in Europe.
The German crisis cabinet made a decision on Sunday about the decision to bear the costs of these treatments. That is expected to be about 20 million euros.
“Europe stands together, even in times of crisis,” German Health Minister Jens Spahn said Monday morning after the decision was officially announced.
Germany has a large number of IC beds
He emphasizes that Germany has the will and capacity to even more patients to record. “That is European solidarity for us.”
Germany already had 28,000 IC beds before the crisis. That equates to 34 beds per 100,000 inhabitants. In the Netherlands, that number was seven.
Europe is fighting over solidarity
The country wants to pay the treatment costs of EU patients at least until the end of September, a fact sheet distributed to journalists during the press conference said Politico.
A heated debate is raging among European countries about solidarity during the corona crisis. France, Spain and Italy want Europe to issue so-called Eurobonds, but to be the Netherlands and Germany strong against that idea.
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The coronavirus in short
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