By Birgit Buerkner
The internal conflicts in the health department escalate into a political earthquake in Neukölln. The CDU parliamentary group in the district parliament has now submitted a motion for disapproval against City Councilor for Health Mirjam Blumenthal (50, SPD).
“After ten months in office, Mirjam Blumenthal’s character and professional shortcomings have become obvious,” says CDU faction leader Gerrit Kringel (49). “The transgressions are now so numerous that one wonders how she was able to do it in the short term of office.”
Medical officer Dr. Blumenthal relieved Nicolai Savaskan (48) of his duties Photo: dpa picture alliance
The CDU accuses Blumenthal of:
► You had an info podcast deleted by health department employees with rapper Ali Bumaye. Their order said: “Ali Bumaye is Abou-Chaker’s cousin. Please take it off the net immediately.” When the CDU asked the district assembly (BVV) whether the musician’s family ties played a role, she replied: “No.”
Rapper Ali Bumaye should reach younger generations in the podcast Photo: dpa/picture-alliance
Kringel: “She deliberately told BVV and the public that she was untruthful with the intention of deceiving.”
► You endanger the tasks of the health department, reject administrative assistance from the State Office for Health and Social Affairs. The application states: “With an open conflict with the chief medical officer and other employees at all levels in the health department, Mirjam Blumenthal has brought the office, which is particularly important during the pandemic, to the brink of incapacity to work.
Several key professionals have already resigned and are unwilling to continue working under this leadership.”
According to BZ information, the city councilor is currently employing a medical consulting firm from Baden-Württemberg instead – although the office’s budget is said to have been used up.
For six days of standby, the company should receive almost 14,000 euros – from taxpayer funds. Her mission, among other things: investigate hygiene deficiencies in the Vivantes Clinic Neukölln (inadequate cleaning, expired medication, missing reports of corona infected and dead).
Blumenthal said when asked by the BZ that the office had already signed a three-year contract with the company in 2019. “In order to bridge vacation-related bottlenecks after a lot of corona-related overtime, the contract was supplemented this year,” said the city councilor.