Lack of doctors in Perleberg: International doctors bring hope!

Lack of doctors in Perleberg: International doctors bring hope!

The district hospital Prignitz in Perleberg is a lively example of the opportunities that a various workforce brings. With a total of 1150 employees, about half of whom has a migration background, the hospital shows how important the international exchange in healthcare is. These doctors come from 30 different nations and bring valuable perspectives to medical care, such as the SVZ

In the current situation, we see that many of these doctors come from crisis areas. For example, doctors from Russia and Ukraine work together after they have fled military conflicts. In order to be able to practice in Germany, foreign doctors have to take some hurdles, such as obtaining a license. Among other things, this requires that medical training match the European standards and a language certificate is presented at least at B2 level.

hurdles in the recognition of qualifications

The process of recognition can be lengthy: on average up to 15 months from the first contact to the attitude. This is particularly challenging for doctors who come from countries with war or military service, since the procurement of the necessary documents is often problematic. Omar Homsy, a doctor from Syria who came to Germany in 2023, found the district hospital on the Internet and applied online, an opportunity to use more and more foreign specialists.

At the same time, there is a noticeable shortage of skilled workers in the nursing sector. The existing structures for recognizing foreign nurses are still under construction. Refugees from Ukraine, such as the nurse Maryna Vorowska, who also completed a psychology studies, can work in Germany immediately. She found support in recognizing her qualifications by the former pastor Annette Flade.

The situation on the job market

The shortage of skilled workers is not a new phenomenon. Germany rely on foreign workers, in particular qualified specialists. According to the Bpb came around 73,000 third-party members with the aim of working here. Immigration has achieved a new level in particular through the skilled workers immigration law 2023 that makes recruitment easier. Citizens can easily settle from the EU while third countries need a work permit.

In the medical sector, the shortage of doctors is also acute. In 2023, 64,000 doctors in Germany were of foreign origin-more than every seventh doctor, such as the Deutschlandfunk . This number has more than doubled in the past ten years. Despite these developments, a deficiency of 30,000 to 50,000 doctors is predicted by 2040. Foreign doctors who want to work in Germany often have to take a knowledge test to check their professional competence.

With these challenges in mind, hospital lines and recruiters are optimistic. They hope for simplifications and a shortening of the approval processes for foreign specialists in order not only to combat the shortage of skilled workers in the healthcare system, but also to meet the needs of the aging population. To ensure health care in the long term, suitable solutions must be found.