Medical professionals acquire discharge information from daily publications, newspaper-based hospital releases
In the heart of Brandenburg, a heated debate surrounding the allocation of healthcare funds has arisen. Ambulatory doctors in the region have expressed concerns about a lack of recognition, high workloads, and inadequate framework conditions, leading to growing anger.
At the forefront of this dispute is Catrin Steiniger, the Lübbenau urologist and chairwoman of the Brandenburg Association of District Doctors. During the association's representative assembly, she voiced her concerns about the allocation of 460 million euros from the federal investment reserve to municipally run medical care centers, while ambulatory practices in Brandenburg are left wanting for funds for investments.
The district doctors have been invited to a roundtable in Wittstock to discuss these issues. However, they learned about the closure of the Wittstock Hospital from a newspaper, a move that Steiniger believes undermines the responsibility of the licensing committee, which decides on the allocation of doctor's seats.
Steiniger is advocating for "extra-budgetary funds" if a regular doctor's license in Wittstock is not possible. She emphasizes that ambulatory doctors should be promoted just as much as hospitals or municipal facilities, and that politics must not repeat the mistake of marginalizing ambulatory care.
In response, Health Minister Britta Müller has announced plans to advocate for the creation of medical care centers and to strengthen ambulatory care in Brandenburg. The hospital reform conditions, according to Müller, make such a clinic no longer viable, leading to the closure of the Wittstock Hospital.
The decisive determination of the budget of 460 million euros for municipally operated health centers in Brandenburg was made by the German federal government during budget discussions in 2025 under Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition government. This budget is part of the broader federal health investment plan for ambulatory and stationary care in Brandenburg aimed at improving healthcare services in rural regions.
The healthcare landscape in Brandenburg is diverse, with the hospital operated by KMG in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district consisting only of cardiology and gastroenterology stations. KMG, the previous clinic operator in the district, has announced its withdrawal from the city.
Steiniger's calls for fair allocation of funds resonate with the Brandenburg district doctors, who insist on getting a share of the 460 million euros allocated to municipal care centers. As the debate continues, it is clear that finding a solution that benefits both ambulatory doctors and healthcare facilities in Brandenburg will be a priority for all involved.
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