Forster maternity clinic closes – 30 km away from Cottbus University Hospital!

Forster maternity clinic closes – 30 km away from Cottbus University Hospital!

On July 1, 2025, a crucial phase for the maternity clinic in Forst (Spree-Neiße) will expire. The maternity ward, which has been renovated since 2014, will close this Tuesday. The reason? A mixture of falling birth rates and an acute shortage of skilled workers, as rbb24.de reports. The nearby Lausitz-Carl Thiem Medical University (MUL-CT) in Cottbus will take over obstetric services, but this could lengthen the journey for expectant mothers - an aspect that is causing public concern.

The delivery room had been closed on weekends since last summer because not only was the capacity utilization low, but there was also a lack of skilled workers. Only 230 births were registered in Forst last year - a decline that is noticeable in the region. The managing director of the Lausitz Clinic, Hans-Ullrich Schmidt, unsuccessfully recruited new specialists in gynecology and obstetrics for seven years, which further encouraged the closure of the maternity ward.

The protest is forming

With the threat of closure there was resistance among the population. At the beginning of February 2025, citizens and local politicians took part in a protest with the motto “Births need proximity - let's save the Forster maternity ward!”, supported by District Administrator Harald Altekrüger (CDU). Many argue that a maternity ward in a county town is essential. Positive feedback from patients testifies to the quality of the Forster Clinic, which makes the decisions even more critical.

The closure is also part of a larger trend: a total of seven maternity wards in Brandenburg have had to close permanently since 2015. The reasons for this are not only the declining number of births, but also new legal requirements and the serious shortage of midwives, which, according to reports from t-online.de, now affects over 4,200 beginners. The shortage is particularly acute in postnatal care, which ultimately makes the situation much more difficult for expectant mothers.

The MUL-CT in Cottbus has announced that it will take over the outsourced births. Weekend operations have already been carried out in the past in order to meet increasing demand. Despite all the difficulties, the upheaval in Forst could also bring positive approaches. In February, consideration was given to possibly converting the clinic into a midwife-run birthing center, although that idea was not implemented. Continuous obstetric care is now planned to be provided by the university.

Shortage of skilled workers in obstetrics

The current shortage of skilled workers is alarming: According to experts, many young people see the profession as valuable, but the poor conditions are a deterrent. If it is not possible to improve the general conditions for midwives, it is to be expected that even more maternity events will disappear in the next few years. Women with statutory health insurance are entitled to postpartum care, which is fundamental for the early mother-child bond.

With the closure of the maternity ward in Forst, the question remains: How well will care be secured in the future? With a distance of 30 kilometers to the nearest maternity hospital, it could be a challenge for many expectant mothers to receive timely medical attention. The fate of an entire region in which birth rates continue to remain at worrying levels hangs in the air. The signs point to change, but how and when will this challenge be dealt with positively?

So far, despite all the challenges, there is no end in sight. The topic of “securing obstetric care” will continue to accompany us in Lusatia in the future.