UniBas Posts Results; Authorities Plan Terror Response Upgrade; Electric Car Sharing Comes To Basel; Deficits Increase At Children's Hospital

News For 17 April 2018

The University of Basel released its closing financial statements for 2017 with a small surplus for the fiscal year.  Income for the year was 730 million Swiss francs, which came from the Cantons of Basel Stadt, Basel Land, the Federal government and other cantons sending students to Unibas.  For the autumn semester 2017, 12,873 students were enrolled at the University of Basel. 17.4 percent of the students came from the canton of Basel-Stadt, 20.4 percent from Baselland and 15.2 percent from the neighboring cantons of Aargau and Solothurn. 23.2 percent was accounted for by the rest of Switzerland and 23.7 percent by students from abroad. The proportion of female students was 55 percent.

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Basel government is willing to spend 4.5 million Swiss francs to upgrade the city’s fight against potential terrorism, security Director Baschi Dürr presented to the media last Friday. The government wants to equip the police force with 380 machine guns, more specific terrorism training and protective clothing for police officers. According to Dürr, “occasional adjustments” are necessary but that a risk of a terror attack was latent.

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Swiss ride sharing firm Catch A Car has introduced the first electric vehicles to its fleet in Basel.  By autumn, the firm hopes to have as many as 30 of the electric cars making it unique in Switzerland's ride-sharing market.  In addition, the company has the blessing of the city to install charging stations for the cars, which will also function as the pickup point.  The city and Catch A Car have also managed to equip each car with a special parking permit allowing it park in such high-demand destinations as the SBB and the airport.  

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Children’s Hospital of Basel announced a deficit of 2.7 million Swiss francs in 2017, according to hospital director Marco Fischer.  Fewer premature births and other developments led to the deficit. Tariffs, which Federal Councilor Alain Berset recently adapted, have led to issues as well. Pediatricians can bill a maximum of 20 minutes for treatment, which is far too low according to Fischer because most consultations take longer.  Next year the hospital expects a higher deficit of 4.3 million francs. In response, they plan to negotiate an increase in subsides from the cantons this year.