Fight for doctors: health care in the district of Euskirchen in danger!

Fight for doctors: health care in the district of Euskirchen in danger!

In the district of Euskirchen, medical care is an urgent topic. Helmut Schneider, who has been a regional director at AOK since 2006, emphasizes the complexity of the situation. Years ago, difficulties in the successor of doctors were found, and currently worries are spreading, especially in the Euskirchen center, since the number of medical practices available decreases significantly. In cities such as Euskirchen, Bad Münstereifel, Zülpich and Weilerswist, the location is tense, while in places such as Mechernich and in the Schleiden valley there are even fewer vacancies available. Schneider urgently demands measures to bring young doctors into the circle because the high average age for doctors, especially in the center area, is alarming.

A working group has already been launched to counteract this lack of doctors. At the same time, there is an increasing proportion of female doctors, but this brings with it some challenges. Many women prefer employees because they are often better compatible with family planning, which leads to a decline in the branches. The bureaucracy and the associated complexity of the practical management also contribute to the decrease in medical practices. Schneider regrets the failure of the “Health Center Schleiden” project, which strives for the merging of various disciplines and services under one roof.

call to change the supply

The situation is particularly critical because North Rhine-Westphalia has advertised funding for health centers, but so far no application from the district of Euskirchen has taken place. Despite these adverse circumstances, Schneider expresses the hope that the situation will not deteriorate because there are healthcare cycles. General practitioners have a central role, but it could be that more tasks are taken on by doctor's assistants.

The NRW Health Minister plans reforms that will also affect the Euskirchen district. A broader discussion about medical care in Germany shows that treatment successes are not the only benchmark for therapy decisions. Economic interests could influence the choice of treatment options, which in some cases leads to unnecessary interventions, such as for hip and knee joints, and the quality varies greatly between the clinics.

quality differences and reform needs

Medical care is often assessed as only mediocre. For example, the mortality rate is 8.5 out of 100 cases within 30 days of a heart attack in Germany, while the numbers in countries such as the Netherlands and Denmark are 3.5 or 3.2 cases per 100 patients. This gives the system cause for concern, since it is below the average of the 38 OECD industrialized countries.

Although minimum quantities for certain operations have been introduced to reduce serious differences in quality, these do not apply to most interventions. Discussions about quality -dependent remuneration for doctors and clinics are underway, but without any significant progress. In this context, the way to improve health care in the district of Euskirchen and also a central challenge for actors from politics and health system remains.  Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger and BKK-Dachverband have delivered extensive analyzes and show how urgently there is a need for action.