Shortages of doctors in Lusatia: Systematic shortage of medical university places – background and mode of action

The lack of doctors in areas like Lusatia is by no means a random event, but the result of years of political wrong decisions, targeted control and short-sighted financial policy. Access to medical school has been one of the strictest bottlenecks in the education system in Germany for decades. Every year, many more interested parties apply for a place at university in themedicine than are ultimately approved. This artificial shortage was always justified by those responsible with high training costs, limited capacities at university clinics and supposedly necessary quality standards. However, studies show that federal states with a larger number of medical study places have a clear long-term advantage in medical careand could effectively reduce the shortage of doctors. Instead of realistically grasping the actual need and finally adapting the educational offer to the social requirements, the federal and state governments merely continue to manage the foreseeable shortage of young people and exacerbate it with low admission quotas and extremely restrictive admission procedures.

Consequences of unequal and tight allocation of study places

The few available study places are highly unequally distributed: Some federal states invest more in medical faculties, while others – including federal states in Lusatia – have hardly or no state study places at all for years. This results in a strong dependence on other federal states or on privately financed medical colleges, the high level ofTuition fees Many young people from structurally weak regions such as Lusatia simply cannot bear. The so-called “sticking effect”, i.e. the tendency of many young doctors to stay in their study region, exacerbates this problem, since already a few trained doctors are rarely willing to switch to underserved, remote areas.

Financial burdens, debt and social hurdles for students

The enormous costs of studying medicine and the often lack of financial support are driving prospective doctors more and more into debt. In many cases, studying medicine without parental help, scholarships or high loans is hardly feasible. Anyone who does not receive a state place at a state study and has to switch to expensive private universities or even study abroad,starts his career with a significant financial burden. As a result, students from low-income regions such as Lusatia in particular face almost insurmountable barriers. Many potential, committed country doctors are actively excluded through this social selection. The financing thus becomes the decisive criterion – less by qualification than aftersocial background and networking.

The shortage of doctors in Lusatia – visible signs of chronic undersupply

The consequences are already alarmingly obvious today. In Lusatia, more and more family doctor practices are closing due to a lack of successors. Older doctors often work far beyond retirement age to maintain basic care provisionally, while new practices are constantly being abandoned without replacement. Specialist seats, especially in the fields of paediatrics and adolescent medicine, dermatologyAs well as gynecology, remain permanently vacant. Waiting times are prolonged, and the quality of medical care is deteriorating. Emergency patients sometimes have to cover long distances, prevention and care of the chronically ill fall behind. The few young doctors who choose the region see themselves as they grow, overtime andBureaucratic hurdles – which is why they often only stay short for economic or private reasons.

Social and health impacts on the population

The consequences for the local people are serious. In particular, chronically ill, elderly and families with children are directly affected by the poor care. The quality of life in the region is falling significantly, trust in state institutions and the health system are suffering greatly. In the long term, weakened regions lose their attractiveness forEconomic growth and young families – a vicious circle of emigration, aging and further depopulation is emerging. Health care must be guaranteed on site: barrier-free, accessible and affordable. It is precisely these standards that are already increasingly faltering in Lusatia.

official failure and lack of forward-looking concepts

Instead of boldly expanding the range of study and funding places and reducing the hurdles of admission for prospective physicians, education policy remains in a crippling official standstill. The few measures – such as country doctor quotas, financial support for practice takeovers or new faculty founding – are hardly more than drops in the bucket and often so lateor bureaucratically implemented, that they cannot cover the acute need.

Chronic shortage of doctors as a self-inflicted problem

The shortage of doctors in Lusatia is the direct result of an artificially shortened shortage of medical study places, ignorance of social selection mechanisms and a misguided promotion policy for young people from medicine. The population pays the price through poor supply, long journeys and growing health uncertainties. About this crisisResolute and extensive investments in education, free of charges and socially just financing of the course are required – instead of continuing to operate a system that manages the shortage and systematically disadvantages rural regions!