First Class Fitness

Doctors Rural Exodus

Medical supply Hamburg threatens twelve million Germans, 10 May 2011 twelve million Germans are threatened by a medical deficiency, so the result of an investigation carried out by Auskunft.de to the shortage of physicians in Germany. Particularly in rural areas, over 2,000 doctors are missing, so that every eighth doctor site remains vacant in some regions. For the next year, the experts at Auskunft.de expect a further worsening of the situation. The Federal State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, in which more than one in two in rural areas lives is affected by the shortage of doctors. Many citizens have no family doctor near their residence, because 15% of all general practitioner posts are already vacant. The result: Even with less critical cases more and more patients call an ambulance, because no doctor is available.

The situation deteriorated nationwide. In Bavaria, a decrease is expected over the next few years by over a thousand doctors. Main reason for the shortage of doctors is the perceived lower Quality of life in rural areas as compared to large cities. In the country often lacks a variety of culture, education, restaurants and other infrastructure. The advantages such as cheaper real estate and the closeness to nature not compensate apparently.

As a result, that particular young doctors see cities as significantly more attractive”, so Auskunft.de – Managing Director Daniel Grozinger. Significantly longer working hours are a second reason for the exodus. Country doctors must take care of 50% more patients on average than their counterparts in the city. Lower earning potential in the country are third reason for the exodus of doctors, absence of often-lucrative private patients. The policy attempts to stop the rural exodus of doctors, so far without success for years. This year and next Auskunft.de expects a further decline of roughly a thousand general practitioners in rural areas. The medical school is the most expensive for the taxpayer in chemistry. Therefore, physicians should either Auskunft.de expert Sven Schmidt proposes tuition pay or commit themselves to work for three years in the country”. About Auskunft.de Auskunft.de is a free directory of Auskunft.de information GmbH. The Internet portal umfagreiche provides to companies from all over Germany. Auskunft.de among others with DocInsider, MedMonitor, and dpa subsidiary is currently cooperating news.