Statement by Mayor Ralph Burghart on the topic of the health authority and Dr Uerlings
Mayor Ralph Burghart comments on today's renewed media reports and the accusations against him:
"The moment the city administration received the first enquiry on this issue, it answered honestly and truthfully. I don't know where Dr Uerlings spends his holidays. I granted him the extended holiday he wanted in December after he had been ill for several weeks. This was so that he could recover properly from his illness. I explicitly linked this to the condition that his deputy also agreed to it. It was important to me that the health department was fully operational and efficient at all times. Dr Spalteholz, the deputy head of the department, Ms Utech as head of pandemic management and the entire team at the public health department have been doing a great job for months. The absence of Dr Uerlings has had no negative impact.
It is NOT the supervisor's job to ask his employees where they are spending their holidays. If the rumours, for which I have no evidence so far, are true, the behaviour of the head of office must undoubtedly be morally questioned. I will of course speak to him about this as soon as he returns from his holiday in February."
Mayor Ralph Burghart will provide further information on the current situation at the health department tomorrow following the press conference on the city council in the city council chamber.