Shortage of pediatricians in big cities: Parents despair because of appointment problems!

Shortage of pediatricians in big cities: Parents despair because of appointment problems!

The shortage of pediatricians in Germany is now also becoming a serious issue in large cities. A current analysis by the comparison portal Verivox found that in cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants there are on average around 1,270 children and young people per resident pediatrician. A numbers game with worrying dimensions when you see that in Recklinghausen there are even 2,752 children per pediatrician - that's 117 percent above the national average. But other cities in the Ruhr area also perform poorly: in Hamm there are 2,312 children waiting to see a doctor, in Oberhausen there are 2,114, and in Gelsenkirchen even 2,111.

However, compared to these grim statistics, there are also bright spots. Cologne, for example, has the best care among the four megacities, with 1,155 children per pediatrician. The most promising thing is that even in the city with good care, pediatricians are still in demand and the waiting rooms are full due to increased respiratory illnesses. The medical association is also reporting an increase in flu cases and RSV infections, which is putting additional strain on pediatricians.

Congestion caused by seasonal waves

There has recently been a sharp increase in flu illnesses in North Rhine-Westphalia. Within a week, the number of flu sufferers rose from 2,800 to around 5,000. Children up to the age of 14 are particularly affected, which significantly increases the burden on pediatricians' practices. Pediatricians are faced with a real flood of doctor visits due to the high number of colds and respiratory diseases, which are also made worse by Corona. Parents are finding it increasingly difficult to get appointments and find new doctors when a practice closes, which further increases the pressure on practices, reports rp-online.

One should also consider the outdated demand planning, which is based on the 1970s. According to this plan, one pediatrician should be available for 1,000 to 1,500 children, but this standard is no longer suitable for modern health care for children. Tanja Brunnert from BVKJ urgently calls for improved equipment in practices and modernized care models. The need for strategic changes is clear: needs planning urgently needs to be revised so that families receive adequate care.

Difficult conditions in pediatrics

The Medical Association in Berlin finds worrying conditions for children's clinics and pediatricians in private practice. On the occasion of World Children's Day, which will be celebrated on September 20, 2023, experts are calling for effective concepts to improve health care for children. The overload of pediatricians, combined with the constant worry of parents about their children, shows that there is a need for action here. Another important issue is the lack of medical staff in practices, which is making the situation even worse. Federal Medical Association continues to report a worrying shortage of pediatric medicines, especially in times of waves of infection, which further fuels the problem.

The globally recognized UNICEF Day every year on September 20th is dedicated to children's rights. The federal government is being asked to focus more and more on the needs of the youngest children. It remains to be hoped that the pressure from experts and associations will be sufficient to initiate the necessary reforms and sustainably improve health care in Germany. So, when the reserves in care planning are finally increased, the unbearable situation in pediatric care will be addressed.

For all parents who are concerned about the health of their children, we can only hope that the situation will soon ease and that decisive action will be taken to ensure the necessary care. Because we all know one thing: the health of our children is important to us, and something urgently needs to be done so that we can build on long-lasting solutions.