Greens see need for action on planned hospital reform

The Greens in the Saxon state parliament see a need for improvement in the planned hospital reform when it comes to the accessibility of obstetrics. The reform envisages accessibility within 40 minutes by car, said Markus Scholz, health policy spokesperson for the Greens, in the state parliament on Wednesday. "We see the need to tighten this up again so that the child is not born in an ambulance because the maternity clinic can no longer be reached." He criticized the increasing concentration on metropolitan areas. Women in rural areas should also have the opportunity to give birth in their local area.

Susanne Schaper, health policy spokesperson for the Left Party, also criticized the provision of care away from the cities. There, a free choice of place of birth is not always guaranteed. "The search for a maternity clinic away from the big cities is usually like Mary and Joseph's search for an inn, because maternity clinics close for cost reasons," said Schaper. She cited the recent closures in Erlabrunn in the Ore Mountains and Lichtenstein in the district of Zwickau as examples. Dietmar Schaufel, health and care policy spokesperson for the AfD, also criticized the closure of maternity wards in Saxony.

Health Minister Petra Köpping (SPD) admitted that Saxony is facing challenges when it comes to births. "High-quality and comprehensive medical care must be ensured," said the minister. However, she rejected criticism of care outside of urban centers. There are 47 maternity clinics in Saxony. "We're not doing too badly compared to the national average." According to the minister, 29,331 children were born in Saxony in 2022, most of them in clinics and a small proportion in home births or birth centers.