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Birth risk in Saxony: Longer journeys to clinics!
In Saxony, the challenges for births due to long travel paths increase. Experts discuss solutions and current developments.
Birth risk in Saxony: Longer journeys to clinics!
In Saxony, worrying trends are currently emerging in the area of obstetrics. Longer journey through clinics and faster births always create new delicate situations for pregnant women. This has caused several women to be accepted after unplanned home births in the Lausitzer Seenland Clinic this year. The effects of the closure of birth stations can already be felt, which fell from 47 in 2010 to only 31. Sächsische.de reports that rural maternity wards in particular have been closed in the last 15 years, which has made journeys significantly longer for many pregnant women.
The closures of maternity wards lead to centralized maternity care in larger hospitals, which is seen as an increase in quality. The more routine the staff has, the safer the obstetric procedures are for mother and child. The Saxon Ministry of Social Affairs, on the other hand, emphasizes that nationwide coverage is guaranteed with a guideline of 40 minutes of accessibility. In fact, some places exceed this time limit, posing a worrying risk. The Saxon Midwives Association emphasizes that the centralization also affects the everyday work of the midwives, which are affected by longer journeys and increased stress.
Financial challenges for clinics and midwives
The financial situation of the clinics is another sticking point. Birth stations are expensive due to the high demands on personnel and quality, which presents many small houses with major challenges. The Hospital Society Saxony (KGS) points out that some small clinics are often unable to maintain the necessary round-the-clock readiness, which results in closure of further stations. In this context, Saxony invests almost six million euros annually in a funding program for maintaining hospital structures.
Many midwives have fears of existence in dealing with the falling births and the growing competitive pressure. This was recently discussed at the 26th Rabenstein midwife day in the DRK Hospital in Chemnitz Rabenstein. Among other things, representatives of the Saxon midwife association took part in the event and addressed the higher levels of midwives in the public service and the new midwifery contract from 01.01.2025. A current project, the “midwife on site”, could help, but unexplained insurance questions are still a hurdle for starting in Saxony.
Future prospects in obstetrics
Despite the challenges, there are bright spots. In Freital, there are approaches to cooperation between clinics, midwife practices and outpatient care centers in order to close the existing supply gaps. Innovative models from other federal states, such as the Hessian model, where midwives are alerted together with the emergency service in emergencies, could also be paid to attention in Saxony.
Current developments show that dialogue and networking are crucial for the future of obstetrics in Saxony. Only through cooperation and creative solutions can the quality of care be ensured in the long term. Pregnant women and their families expect nothing less than a reliable and safe place to give birth - and there is still a lot to do.