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Rostock is starting the new parent-child center with 100 million euros!
Rostock is establishing a parent-child center to improve care for children and parents with an investment of 100 million euros.
Rostock is starting the new parent-child center with 100 million euros!
A lot is happening in Rostock in the area of health care for families with children. A cooperation between the Rostock University Medical Center (UMR) and the Südstadt Rostock Hospital (KSR) will create a new parent-child center (ELKI) that aims to provide comprehensive medical care at a high level. The joint project, which was officially announced on July 10, 2025, includes investments of 100 million euros for both clinics, as part of an important modernization initiative.
The overarching goal of this collaboration is to sustainably improve medical care for children and their parents. Health Minister Stefanie Drese describes this initiative as a “lighthouse” for the Rostock and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania region. The close cooperation is supported not only by the clinics involved, but also by the city and the state government in order to ensure interdisciplinary care in pediatrics, child surgery, gynecology, obstetrics and neonatology.
Planned investments and construction projects
Extensive construction work is planned at both locations. A new operating room for newborns is being built at the Südstadt Clinic to enable direct care on site. This will be particularly important for premature babies who no longer need to be transported across the city. A new birthing center will soon be built here, while the university children's and youth clinic at the UMR is being renovated and expanded.
Particular attention is paid to academic training in neonatology, where a professorship is to be established. In the future, the UMR will also take over the academic management of the neonatology department at the KSR - a step that is seen as a long-term improvement in the training and further education of specialists in the region.
Criticism and challenges in pediatric medicine
A key problem is the lack of medical staff, which is exacerbated by the exclusion of pediatric departments in many hospitals. Long waiting times in emergency rooms mean that parents are forced to visit them, which increases the workload of doctors who are already under strain. Many clinics nationwide were overloaded, especially in the winter of 2022/23, so that children had to be moved to the surrounding area.
The plans for the new ELKI in Rostock are therefore not just an expansion measure, but also a necessary step to counteract the existing challenges in pediatric care. The region is committed to sustainable expansion and better collaboration between the clinics and pediatricians in private practice in order to increase the security of care for the smallest patients.
In summary, it should be noted that the new parent-child center in Rostock not only aims to close existing gaps in pediatric care, but also develops a model that responds to the needs of families and can ensure the training of specialists in the long term.
For more information and details about developments in health care for children and families in Rostock, read the reports from Rostock town hall, The time and Federal Medical Association.