Lack of doctors in Saxony-Anhalt: urgent call for help from the region!

Lack of doctors in Saxony-Anhalt: urgent call for help from the region!

Halle (Saale), Deutschland - Saxony-Anhalt lists an alarming low medical density compared to other federal states in Germany. According to current information, almost 204 resident doctors come to 100,000 inhabitants. This positions Saxony-Anhalt in the penultimate place nationwide, only Brandenburg has an even smaller medical density. A different picture shows in urban areas: in Halle (Saale) the number is 213.5 doctors per 100,000 inhabitants, while Magdeburg comes up with a good 198 doctors. For comparison: in Hamburg there are 310 doctors per 100,000 inhabitants, which illustrates the significant discrepancy.

The proportion of female doctors in Saxony-Anhalt is relatively high with over 58 percent, with the component of gynecology, pediatric and adolescent medicine and psychotherapists over 70 percent. The average age of the resident doctors in Saxony-Anhalt is 52.5 years, while the average is 54.5 years nationwide. It is worrying that about 9 percent of doctors are over 65, which refers to potential supply gaps.

challenges in general medical care

The general practitioner care is particularly on the brink. In Saxony-Anhalt there are only 67 general practitioners per 100,000 inhabitants, and 10.3 percent of these doctors are older than 65 years. For comparison: In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, this proportion is 8.3 percent, while in Rhineland-Palatinate it is even 21.3 percent. This age structure could significantly restrict the availability of general practitioners in the coming years.

The causes of the shortage of doctors in Saxony-Anhalt are complex. The Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians Saxony-Anhalt (KVSA) has noticed since 2002 that the need planning reaches its limits and indicates the need to gain foreign doctors. Factors such as reduced medical study places since the 1990s and a changed perception of work-life balance have also contributed to the current situation. Rural regions feel the effects of the long of the doctor, which is particularly critical in a federal state like Saxony-Anhalt with a lot of rural areas.

supply bottlenecks and innovative solutions

In child and adolescent medicine, the situation is also tense. Saxony-Anhalt has a good nine pediatricians per 100,000 inhabitants, in Halle there are around 11. These numerical bottlenecks could lead to pediatricians who are less likely to be visited by patients, which is also due to longer journey routes that are often necessary in rural areas. Access to specialized supply services is often severely restricted in these regions.

Medical and nursing care, however, is an elementary part of general interest, and the population expects corresponding services regardless of their place of residence. In order to counteract the shortage of doctors, innovative care concepts, such as cooperation between home and specialists, telemedical offers and digital networking of health service providers.

The shortage of skilled workers is not the only problem; Economic operating costs for pediatric practices are often not sustainable in rural areas due to the low number of children. In order to ensure the proximity and quality of the supply, it is crucial that the planning of medical care is integrated into general general services.

Overall, it can be seen that Saxony-Anhalt needs a thorough strategy to combat the shortage of doctors and to keep health care at an acceptable level. It is necessary that everyone involved, from politics to KVSA to the communities, work together to find sustainable solutions.

For a detailed view of the current situation and developments in Saxony-Anhalt, the view of the reporting of the FAZ , mdr and the analyzes of the Federal Center for Political Education .