New medical center in Roßleben: Mayor is fighting for successful implementation

New medical center in Roßleben: Mayor is fighting for successful implementation

in a small town in Thuringia, which has around 6,000 inhabitants, a former Rewe market has been empty for some time. This empty building not only awakens memories of the once busy shopping days, but is now becoming the central point of an ambitious infrastructure plan, which is initiated by Mayor Steffen Sauerbier (SPD).

Sauerbier has long been pursuing the dream of a own medical center for the municipality of Roßleben. The urgency of this project has grown because the local doctors are largely in retirement and their loss could endanger medical care in the region. According to Sauerbier, the average age of practicing doctors over 60 years is, which underlines the need for a new center to win young doctors.

a medical center for Roßleben

The planned medical center is to be built in the former Rewe building, which with its generous 750 to 800 square meters offers ideal space for several medical practices. The central location in the village and the existing infrastructure, including an already based medical supply store, make the location particularly attractive. "It would be the perfect place to offer the doctors a contact point and at the same time enable the residents the necessary medical care," explains Sauerbier.

Despite the existing plan, the mayor is faced with challenges. Unclear responsibilities and lengthy bureaucratic processes hinder progress. Sauerbier reports of difficulties because he was told that the district was responsible for the implementation and that it could therefore not act alone. "The mills of the authorities just grind too slowly," says the mayor frustrated.

urgency of implementation

Time is pushing. Sauerbier is clear when he says: "I can no longer wait longer." It is still uncertain whether the Rewe building must be renovated or possibly torn down. However, clear steps are required to create practical solutions for the new doctors. There is already a promising tenant who is currently working in a practice of a relative and can imagine working in the new medical center. Sauerbier is convinced: "Once the premises are created, the doctors will come safely."

Another challenge is the financing of the project. The mayor intends to plan the necessary funds into the budget for the coming year, but the exact time window for the amortization of the project remains unclear. "We have to find a way to finance it all. It is necessary in the interest of everyone, because at some point everyone will be dependent on good medical care," emphasizes Sauerbier.

The project of the medical center in Roßleben shows the creeping change of a community that is concerned about its future. The mayor's initiative not only redesigned a physical space; Rather, an important topic is also addressed: basic medical care in rural regions. The fate of the former Rewe market thus stands for a broader trend that reflects the challenges and opportunities of demographic change in Germany.