"Let action follow - the north-west is relying on you!"
University Medicine Oldenburg hosted a parliamentary evening in Hanover on 14 September. The response was great, as was the need for dialogue.
In addition to numerous members of the state parliament, stakeholders from the medical profession and healthcare sector and representatives from the Ministry of Science, the 45 or so guests included Meta Janssen-Kucz, Vice President of the state parliament, Björn Thümler, Minister of Science, Dr Carola Reimann, Minister of Social Affairs, Reinhold Hilbers, Minister of Finance and Stephan Albani, Member of the Bundestag. A church with a large forecourt not far from the state parliament was chosen as the venue in order to comply with the current hygiene and social distancing rules.
After a warm welcome and words of praise for University Medicine Oldenburg from Vice President Janssen-Kucz and Minister Thümler, the Oldenburg hosts presented themselves in a committed and direct manner. The ongoing underfunding of University Medicine Oldenburg was discussed several times: a few weeks ago, the state government decided to withhold funds announced in the draft budget for the coming year for the planned construction of an urgently needed research and teaching building. This is despite the fact that Lower Saxony is heading towards a blatant shortage of doctors and the Oldenburg site is therefore expected to realise a further increase in student numbers. Thümler emphasised in the evening that 40 million of the 142 million euros required for the new building would now be available thanks to reallocations in the science budget. Dean Prof Dr Hans Gerd Nothwang nevertheless called for "more planning security for the budget increase and the structural infrastructure measures." University President Prof. Dr Dr Hans Michael Piper made an urgent appeal to the ministers and MPs: "Let action follow - the north-west is relying on you." Rainer Schoppik, CEO of Klinikum Oldenburg, stated: "We are ready for the next steps, but the financial framework conditions must be right." These demands were also creatively emphasised during the evening - through video clips and a wishing stone campaign with students, other members of the School and a GP from the University Medical Centre's network of teaching practices.
One of the two research focuses of the School of Medicine - healthcare research - was the subject of a short presentation by Oldenburg scientist Prof Dr Lena Ansmann. She emphasised the great potential of joint projects in the German-Dutch border region. Under the umbrella of the joint Cross-Border Institute of Healthcare Systems and Prevention, which is currently being set up, experts from Oldenburg and Groningen are analysing the Dutch and German healthcare systems on a comparative basis.
Medical student Johannes Stalter skilfully hosted the 90-minute programme. The evening was otherwise characterised by many intensive discussions - mainly outdoors thanks to the late summer temperatures. Guests and hosts discussed the current teaching and research situation as well as the special features of the degree programme, which is unique in Europe, and the ambitious plans for the future. In addition to representatives of the Presidential Board and the School of Medicine, the Oldenburg delegation included the managing directors of Oldenburg's hospitals, the Chair of the University Council Jörg Waskönig and the Chair of the Oldenburg University Society (UGO), Honorary Professor Dr Werner Brinker - and of course students!