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Doctor shortage in Baruth: City is urgently looking for new doctors!
Teltow-Fläming: Shortage of doctors leads to new initiatives for medical care and upcoming mayoral elections in Großbeeren.
Doctor shortage in Baruth: City is urgently looking for new doctors!
An alarming development in the health sector is emerging in the Teltow-Fläming region. The city of Baruth/Mark is forced to actively look for new doctors in order to counteract an impending shortage of general practitioners. This reports [maz-online.de](https://www.maz-online.de/lokales/teltow-flaeming/arzt-gesucht-maz-wahltalk-polizeisatz-an-schule-FMV4 5J2UDVBO3DGMLK4WPKFAIQ.html?mst_prev_website=maz&mst_prev_page_id=ZDSIOIT3FVHJHFN43XPDIGSD6M&mst_prev_link_type=article). Almost every third family doctor in the region is already over 60 years old, which makes the situation even more tense. In order to proactively meet these challenges, the city has been operating a medical care center (MVZ) since 2021, which is currently staffed by five doctors.
The plans to further expand the MVZ and hire additional specialists are already on the agenda. Those responsible want to ensure that medical care in the region will continue to be guaranteed in the future. The shortage of doctors is not only noticeable in Teltow-Fläming, but is also a widespread problem in many rural areas of Germany, as studies show.
Doctor shortage as a nationwide problem
Some German districts are already lacking more than 10 family doctors. According to information from arzt-wirtschaft.de, the average doctor density in Germany is 4.5 doctors per 1,000 inhabitants. However, in rural areas this number is alarmingly low, sometimes below 1.9. Structurally weak regions in particular are struggling with the migration of young doctors, who often prefer more flexible working models in clinics or MVZs.
The reasons for the decline in doctor density are varied. An aging medical workforce, with 30% of doctors over 60 years old, high financial hurdles for setting up a practice, and a lack of incentives such as infrastructure and career opportunities are just some of the challenges. Forecasts suggest that there will be a shortage of around 12,000 general practitioners by 2035, which could further worsen the situation. This results in long waiting times for specialist appointments and an overload of emergency rooms.
Municipal solutions
In order to meet these challenges, many municipalities are relying on the establishment of MVZs. As the MDR reports, another MVZ is currently being built in the south of Krauschwitz with the aim of ensuring medical care. The company is founded by the community and it is expected that it will later be self-sustaining through the sales generated.
Such models could also be of interest to Baruth/Mark in order to attract young doctors and maintain medical care in the long term. The advantage of the municipal MVZ is that the doctors are employed there and have to overcome fewer bureaucratic hurdles. This makes employment more attractive for newly trained medical professionals.
While the communities in Teltow-Fläming and beyond are working creatively on solutions, the situation remains tense. Political measures, such as the introduction of a rural doctor quota and financial support for branches in underserved areas, are important steps in getting the shortage of doctors under control. But the clock is ticking and there is a lot to do to make the home regions future-proof.