Health Minister Lauterbach pays a visit to the clinic in Solingen
City Hospital Solingen in the town of Solingen, Germany, is ready for the upcoming hospital reform, according to Federal Health Minister Prof. Dr. Karl Lauterbach. Lauterbach inspected the extensive renovation measures and the brand-new equipment of the hospital during a visit on a specified date in July 2025.
The hospital's transformation was necessitated by the closure of two hospitals in the region. To facilitate the integration of the new departments, extensive renovation work, adjustments to the organizational structure, and staff increases in many areas were taken. As a result, two new specialist departments with nearly 300 employees were integrated into the City Hospital Solingen.
During the tour through the new departments in the hospital, Lauterbach visited the stroke unit, the radiology department, and the central emergency ambulance. The minister praised the hospital's preparations for the reform, stating that Solingen has good emergency care.
Prof. Dr. Marcel Dihné, the chief physician of neurology, explained the new department to Lauterbach. The newly integrated departments focus on stroke care in Solingen and the Mettmann district. Mayor Tim Kurzbach was also present during the visit, and Dr. Janosch Dahmen, the health policy spokesman of the Bundestag faction Alliance 90/The Greens, accompanied the delegation.
The hospital's managing directors, Prof. Dr. Martin Eversmeyer and Prof. Dr. Thomas Standl, welcomed the minister. Lauterbach published on the platform "X" (formerly Twitter) that Solingen has sufficient good staff for the upcoming hospital reform. The Federal Health Minister, who assessed the comprehensive changes at the hospital during the visit to Solingen, also met with other health ministers on July 3, 2025.
