Red alert: Pediatric practices in Luckenwalde and Jüterbog close!

Red alert: Pediatric practices in Luckenwalde and Jüterbog close!

Pediatricians in Luckenwalde and Jüterbog are facing a worrying situation: Gundula Härtel's practice will close on December 31, 2025, and KMG MVZ Süd-Brandenburg GmbH has already confirmed that no specific reasons were given for this decision. Discussions with local partners have not yielded the desired results, which further increases concerns among the population. Things are also getting tight in Jüterbog: two pediatricians who work in the Medical Care Center (MVZ) are currently available, while Claudia Gallin's practice was closed on June 30, 2025.

It becomes particularly critical when you consider that Norbert Brümmer will also be giving up his practice on September 30, 2025 due to retirement. The KMG has no plans to replace these practices, which means that only the pediatrician Birgit Hauck at the MVZ Richter remains responsible for the region. However, due to overcrowding, it can no longer accept new patients, as managing director Enno Richter reports. The estimates raise concerns that around 1,500 children in the region will be without a pediatrician by 2026.

Medical care under pressure

The affected children come from Luckenwalde, Jüterbog and surrounding communities such as Niedergörsdorf and Nuthe-Urstromtal. This is the reality for parents: Finding appropriate medical care is becoming increasingly difficult. Why is that? The shortage of pediatricians is noticeable throughout Germany, especially in rural areas, where many practices are already overloaded and cannot accept new patients. While the offerings are more diverse in urban areas, residents of rural regions struggle with inadequate offerings, which means that parents sometimes have to travel for more than an hour to see a pediatrician [ZDF today reports that...](https://www.zdfheute.de/politik/deutschland/aerzte Mangel-deutschland-kinderarzt-100.html).

Many of the seats for pediatricians and adolescent doctors are already unfilled, and the situation could get even worse. Over a quarter of current pediatricians are over 60 years old and will soon be retiring. An unsolved problem that not only concerns parents, but also local politicians. The CDU parliamentary group in Luckenwalde has already demanded measures from the mayor to ensure medical care.

Innovations required

Another aspect of the problem is the economic viability of pediatric practices, which is often unsustainable in rural areas. The low number of children makes things more difficult, which is why innovative care concepts are required. Telemedicine and mobile service providers could also offer solutions to improve healthcare in rural areas. Enno Richter advocates strategic concepts that aim to attract specialists to the region.

Overall, the political discussion about pediatric care in Luckenwalde and Jüterbog remains tense. It will be exciting to see whether and what measures will be taken to avert the impending shortage of specialists in the region and to maintain medical care for families bpb reports that ....

Ultimately, it is about the basic services of the population, who expect high-quality health services regardless of where they live. But in rural areas, access to specialized healthcare services is often limited. A rethink is required here in order to master the challenges of the future maz-online reports that ....