After closing the children's ward: Where is the care for pregnant women?

After closing the children's ward: Where is the care for pregnant women?

Freital, Deutschland - The closure of the children's ward in Freital has caused a lot of excitement among residents, politicians and experts. Peter Pfitzenreiter, Chairman of the Conservatives Mitte e.V., has clearly positioned itself and demands that medical care for children and expectant mothers. This topic became particularly urgent after Helios announced the closure of the children's and women's clinic, which is to be carried out on December 1, 2024. The reason for this is the strongly sunken cases in gynecology and other departments, which decreased from 500 births in 2019 to less than 200 last year.

In the district council there was recently an application to search for alternatives to secure medical care on site. However, this application was clearly rejected because the district was already forced to delete investments and to shorten budgets. A recommunication of the hospital in Freital was assessed as unrealistic. The Saxon Ministry of Social Affairs, on the other hand, claims that medical care is still secured despite the closures. It remains to be seen how the situation will develop, but the district is asked to urgently search for alternatives.

The birthplace as a new option

A promising idea is to set up a privately run birth house. The district office of Saxon Switzerland-Osterzgebirge has been commissioned to check whether such a birthplace, possibly in Dippoldiswalde, can be realized. This initiative comes at a time when pregnant women in the region have to accept long trips to achieve a suitable clinic. You currently have to drive up to 30 kilometers to Pirna or Dresden for emergency treatments.

The district administration is positive about the project and sees great potential in a private law association of doctors, doctors and midwives. It is currently being considered whether a midwifery can be set up in Freital. However, the extraction of interested midwives and conversations with Helios is required for the implementation.

challenges from the hospital reform

The situation is also complicated by an impending hospital reform of the Federal Ministry of Health. Karl Lauterbach plans measures that are expected to reduce the number of clinic locations in Saxony to only 60. Among the 593 obstetrics locations currently existing, some could have to close forever. This reform is considered insufficient by many experts, since it does not offer solutions for the continued underfunding and the shortage of skilled workers.

Patrick Hilbrenner from Asklepios warns of catastrophic effects on health care in rural areas. Smaller clinics in particular lose economic stability, which could not only endanger medical care, but also to massively impair social structures in these regions.

In this context, it becomes clear how important it is to continue to pursue the diverse solutions and to initiate serious conversations between the actors involved. It remains to be seen whether the first intermediate results for the desired alternatives can be presented in the social committee of the district council until 2026.

The challenges are great and time is pushing. The health and safety of expectant mothers and children must be at the top.

For more information, the articles from Wochenkurier , mdr and asklepios to be consulted.