Emergency services under pressure: over 50,000 missions in the district!

Emergency services under pressure: over 50,000 missions in the district!

In the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, the situation in the emergency services has changed noticeably in recent months. Not only do temperatures rise in the summer months, but so do the number of emergency services deployed. Loud NDR An average of 161 missions were scheduled per day in July 2025, which corresponds to 50,000 missions for the entire year. The months from June to August are particularly challenging, with around 14,800 missions alone.

The reason for the increasing number of deployments is the increasing number of emergencies, which are often associated with circulatory problems or fires. On the popular holiday island of Usedom there was an increase of around ten additional missions per day, which is due to the high number of holiday guests and day tourists. This shows once again how important quick and efficient emergency care is.

Structural changes in the rescue service

In order to meet this challenge, the district invests around 50 million euros annually in the rescue service. To ensure efficient supply, new contracts were tendered and ended on April 30, 2025. The district was looking for non-profit service providers for emergency rescue and qualified patient transport. While the DRK Uecker-Randow remains responsible for the southern district, the ASB and the DRK Ostvorpommern take over rescue services in the remaining area. It is worth knowing that HKS Rescue Service Greifswald GmbH is withdrawing from the supply in Greifswald, while a new tendering process has to be started for the Loitz and Jarmen regions because no suitable applicant has yet been found. However, the DRK OVP is temporarily securing the rescue service in these regions until the end of 2025.

The signing of the new contracts recently took place in Anklam, and construction of new rescue stations in Albinshof, Murchin and Hintersee is expected to begin in 2025. In Trassenheide, planning for a new rescue station is being progressed, although construction is not scheduled to begin until 2026. In this way, the district is responding to the need to adhere to the required ten minutes from the emergency alarm to the scene of the incident in order to ensure the best possible care.

The challenges for the future

However, the challenges are not only limited to regional peculiarities, but also reflect a nationwide problem. A new study by the Björn Steiger Foundation and the Bertelsmann Foundation, prepared by Maastricht University, has shown that there are doubts about the efficiency and quality of emergency care in Germany. In this comprehensive analysis, deficits in processes, organization and collaboration are identified and possible solutions are discussed to improve emergency care. These findings underline the urgency of reforms in the German healthcare system, particularly in the area of ​​emergency medicine, where there is a high workload.

In order to meet the constant need for qualified workers, training must also be improved. At the vocational school location in Greifswald, work is already underway to train emergency paramedics in order to retain skilled workers in the region. A total of 450 emergency services are required in the district to successfully maintain the emergency service and ensure the health of citizens.

In view of the current developments and the challenges that lie ahead, we can only hope that the measures will take effect and that emergency care in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district will be further optimized.