Doctor shortage means suspended night-time service in Basel health centre

No night-time emergency service for three nights at the Laufen BL Health Centre

Keystone-SDA

The emergency surgery at the health centre in Laufen, canton Basel Country, is having to suspend its night-time service for three nights due to a shortage of doctors. These are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights, according to a press release issued on Monday.

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Twenty-hour-hour service will resume on Thursday morning, according to a statement from the Basel Country Cantonal Hospital (KSBL). Until then, a security guard will be on site at night to direct people to the available medical facilities.

In life-threatening situations, the ambulance service should be contacted via the emergency number 144, the statement added. For non-life-threatening situations, the Medical Emergency Call Centre (MNZ) can be reached on 061 261 15 15.

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According to the KSBL, the reason for the suspension of the night shift is the decision by the cantonal parliament to continue 24-hour operations. As a result, the hospital has had to adjust its staffing and rota plans, which had been drawn up well in advance.

“Despite various measures, we were unable to staff three of this week’s night shifts adequately,” KSBL CEO Lukas Rist is quoted as saying.

Cantonal parliament intervened

The cantonal government and the preliminary advisory committee had planned to scrap the night shift in Laufen. However, in June, the cantonal parliament had approved, by 40 votes to 35 with one abstention, a motion by Nicole Spiegel calling for the funding of night-time operations, thereby enabling them to continue. The final vote was 52 to 18 with six abstentions.

Healthcare provision in the Laufental region of Basel Country is a recurring topic in politics. Laufen used to have its own hospital. However, this was replaced by a health centre in the early 2020s. The government’s plans to move away from 24-hour operations had led to a heated debate in parliament.