PVDA: “Antwerp city council starves care company to force privatization” | Antwerp
“In the first three years, the city council will reduce its allocation to the Healthcare Company from 66 to 60 million,” says Lise Vandecasteele. “So ten percent fewer resources, irresponsible when you see how energy prices have shot up and amount to the highest ten percent. The systematic reduction of the allocation is in stark contrast to the ongoing costs for residents. Seniors see their costs indexed up to twice a year, the invoices for the rest home or the service flat have risen by more than a hundred euros per month. Indexation for the residents, savings for the city council, that is the situation today.”
According to the PVDA, this saving is a deliberate strategy that has been underway since 2012. “The mission of this city council is to be the first government in Flanders to house its public elderly care in a private structure, where private investors can also break. Listed real estate companies such as Aedifica are only too happy to get their hands on our residential care centers and service flats in order to make a profit. This city council is deliberately starving the healthcare company to submit poor figures and then have to proceed to privatization.”