Suche
Parents in Sigmaringen are desperate: only one pediatrician left!
After the practice closed, only one pediatrician remained in Sigmaringen. Despite the decline, the supply level remains above 100 percent.
Parents in Sigmaringen are desperate: only one pediatrician left!
The mood in the city of Sigmaringen is tense: since the end of July there has only been one pediatrician left, Dr. Nora Laubrock, available. This situation is the result of the closure of Dr. Marina Hummel. In just a few years, the number of pediatricians in Sigmaringen has decreased from four to currently just one. “It is a big challenge for us parents when we can hardly find medical help for our children,” complains a desperate mother. Schwäbische.de reports on how worried many citizens are about the impending practice closures.
The situation is similar in Bad Saulgau, where Dr. Christoph Seitz will close his practice. This leaves only Dr. Ulrike Huss will take over the care of children and young people. The worrying development shows that the capacities for medical care in the region are being severely limited.
Inadequate demand planning?
Although the Baden-Württemberg Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KV) states a coverage level of over 100 percent in the Sigmaringen district, this is difficult to understand in view of the impending closures. The KV states that the level of care for pediatricians in the district has been stable so far, but there remains uncertainty about future care. However, these figures do not include the current new developments, as these have not yet been taken into account in the requirements plans.
“The determination of undersupply is the responsibility of the state committee of doctors and health insurance companies,” explains the KV. However, the problems here may have to be ignored, as official statistics do not currently show a dramatic undersupply. 'After the current practice closures, the number of pediatrician offices in the district will fall from 8.25 to 6.25. And while the supply level will still be over 75 percent on September 1st, there are no signs of rapid action on the part of the facility,” adds a KV representative.
Demand planning under criticism
Demand planning causes heated discussions because despite the insufficient number of pediatricians, the district is not officially classified as underserved. This means that neither additional practice locations can be created nor bonuses can be distributed for doctors in the region. The Statutory health insurance associations can initiate support measures, but this is currently not considered necessary in Sigmaringen.
The goal of demand planning is to create sufficient medical services in a geographical area where they are actually needed. With the change in the law to further develop statutory health insurance law in 1976, the basis for this planning was laid. However, the current situation in the Sigmaringen district makes it clear that existing structures are in danger of being forgotten.
However, there is a small ray of hope in Pfullendorf, where four pediatricians currently practice and a third doctor is even planned. This expansion could sustainably improve access to medical care in Pfullendorf, while the situation in Sigmaringen and Bad Saulgau remains tense.
When asked what happens next, we can only hope that the state committee of doctors and health insurance companies will act soon. Health care for children and young people must be maintained in the region, because the smallest among us deserve the best medical care.