Maltese Assume Control Over DRC's Rescue Services Operation
Fresh and Revamped: The Shift in Rescue Services at Malchin
Welcome a new era in Malchin as the ambulance station at Fritz-Reuter-Platz transitions under a fresh banner. The Malteser Aid Service clinched the tender bid, edging out the local Red Cross branch who were previously managing the service. The official handover happened on April 30th, with an ambulance responding to its first call as early as that morning.
By the Book: The Rescue Services Act
The change comes as a result of provisions in the Rescue Services Act of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. As a Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district representative explains, this law mandates that existing public-law contracts for service provision need to be renewed within a decade of the act's enactment (2015). The district oversees the rescue service operations.
This tender was solely prompted by the provisions mentioned above. The Malteser prevailed in the bidding process, based on their impressive offer for Malchin. Each ambulance station was tendered separately, so the DRK local branch in Demmin will continue operating the stations in Demmin, Tützpatz, Stavenhagen, and Altentreptow within the district.
Thomas Gerigk, Malteser Rescue Service director in Hamburg, asserts that the transition won't disrupt citizens. The Malteser aimed to acquire additional stations and were grateful to secure the Malchin station. "We'd have been thrilled to capture one or two more lots to form a network," said Gerigk, a 31-year-old veteran in the field. They plan to participate in the tender process in the Rostock district as well.
Making the Leap: Employee Transitions
Out of the 14 DRK employees in Malchin, four did not elect to transfer to the new operator. Replacements will be sought for these positions. Station leader Notfallsanitäter Martin Brähmer will continue in his role, alongside the existing fleet and the 24-hour on-call service. The district has provided a new emergency doctor vehicle for the operation, while the rescue and patient transport vehicles were taken from the Malteser's fleet in Hamburg. New vehicles are slated to be delivered in the summer, and the district will unveil a new rescue station on the B 104 at the Stavenhagen exit in 2028.
Thomas Gerigk is excited about the Malteser's debut in the first rescue service in Mecklenburg at the Malchin location. Hailing from Nordwestmecklenburg and boasting experience with the Malteser in Wismar, Rostock, and Schwerin, Gerigk looks forward to expanding their presence across the region. "I hope that Malchin is not the final station," he says. The Malteser currently oversees over 300 rescue stations nationwide, with seven additional stations planned for Hamburg.
The district of Hamburg, akin to the diocese of the Catholic Church, encompasses Mecklenburg, Schleswig-Holstein, and Hamburg. The Malteser is a Catholic aid organization founded by the German Caritas Association and two branches of the Order of Malta.
Let's Break It Down
- Rescue Services Act: A key law in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern designed to regulate rescue services, including medical emergencies and patient transport.
- European Procurement: The tender process for emergency medical services related to public patient transport must be open and competitive to assure transparency and competition among the bidders.
- Contract Duration: Service contracts for public patient transport in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern usually span a minimum of six years with renewal options.
- Renewal Process: The renewal process generally involves reevaluating the provider's performance and initiating a new tendering process to maintain service standards and efficiency.
In adherence to the Rescue Services Act of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the Malteser Aid Service has shown a commitment to improving health-and-wellness in Malchin by successfully acquiring the ambulance station at Fritz-Reuter-Platz through a tender process, demonstrating their expertise in medical-conditions and science. As Thomas Gerigk, Malteser Rescue Service director in Hamburg, asserts, this transition will not disrupt the service provides, aiming to expand their presence in the region.
