More Private Medical Care Centers in Saxony-Anhalt: A Growing Concern for Left Politicians
Increase in medical care facilities across Saxony-Anhalt region - Additional health facilities established in Saxony-Anhalt
In a quick rundown, the number of medical care centers (MVZ) in Saxony-Anhalt has skyrocketed from 74 in 2019 to a whopping 111 by the end of 2024, as revealed by the state government's response to a parliamentary inquiry by state parliamentarian Nicole Anger (Left). Fun fact: The districts with the most MVZs? Halle, Magdeburg, Harz, and Burgenland.
Anger, the health policy spokeswoman for the Left faction, decries this trend. She argues that more and more of these medical care centers are falling into private hands, causing economic interests to overshadow medical needs. Worth mentioning, the criticized medical care centers favor lucrative specialties like surgery, orthopedics, radiology, and dentistry over primary care.
Crisis in Altmark
"The situation in Altmarkkreis Salzwedel is dire, with both MVZs and a sustainable hospital infrastructure in short supply," says Anger. She urges the state government to step in and bridge the gaps in healthcare services. Looking ahead, The Left advocates for the promotion of community-oriented and municipal MVZs.
Without mincing words, the state government has yet to express an interest in pursuing a municipality-founded MVZ, according to their response to the inquiry. Furthermore, there's no budget allocated for the promotion and support of municipal MVZs that operate independently of doctor's practices.
MVZs vs Doctors' Practices
Unlike doctor's practices, MVZs have an organizational separation between ownership and medical treatment. Doctors are often employed there as staff members, and these facilities can be run as interdisciplinary or specialty-specific organizations.
A Look at Germany's Healthcare Landscape
With rising costs, demographic changes, and supply bottlenecks in rural areas, the German healthcare sector needs innovative approaches to ensure high-quality care. Although specific policies for Saxony-Anhalt are scarce, broader initiatives in Germany aim to:
- Develop new care models to provide sustainable, high-quality patient care.
- Address healthcare shortages in rural areas through programs like the rural doctor quota.
- Encourage community-oriented care centers to help areas without municipal MVZs.
Key Takeaway: While the state government remains mum on the promotion of community-oriented and municipal MVZs, it's clear that innovative solutions are needed to address healthcare challenges in rural Germany, particularly in regions like Altmarkkreis Salzwedel. Possible initiatives include public-private partnerships, training programs, and infrastructure investment.
- Advocates for community-oriented and municipal medical care centers, like Nicole Anger from the Left faction, argue that the increase in private medical care centers in Saxony-Anhalt may lead to economic interests overshadowing medical needs, also noting a trend towards lucrative specialties over primary care.
- In the healthcare sector,with its rising costs, demographic changes, and supply bottlenecks in rural areas, there is a need for innovative approaches like the promotion of community-oriented care centers to ensure high-quality care, especially in regions lacking municipal medical care centers, such as Altmarkkreis Salzwedel.
- The German healthcare landscape would benefit from specific policy initiatives that include developing new care models, addressing healthcare shortages in rural areas through programs, and encouraging community-oriented care centers to address the gaps in healthcare services, particularly in regions with a lack of municipal medical care centers.
