Focus on medical care

Improve structures, secure care: The district of Waldeck-Frankenberg is committed to improving local medical care. Whether general medical or specialised, ensuring care in rural areas is a challenge that the district will tackle in the long term with various projects and ideas.

Whether it is a visit to the family doctor, the orthopaedist or for psychological support, it is always difficult to get an appointment with a doctor in a timely manner. In general, but especially in the last two years of the pandemic. Because even doctors and medical staff are not protected from illness. In some practices and institutions, the general lack of staff and the additional absence due to illness meant that patients had hardly any appointments or none at all. The Vitos Outpatient Clinic for Children and Adolescents in Korbach also had to face this situation at times. In order to discuss this problem with the clinic management, the First District Councillor Karl-Friedrich Frese visited the clinic in Korbach together with the Health Department.

"Together we overcame this challenge and are now again able to offer parents timely appointments for their children," reported Clinic Director Dr Dietmar Eglinsky. "It will also be important in the future to recruit medical and psychotherapeutic staff for our clinic," Dr. Eglinksy explained further. Shortage of skilled workers is a problem in many industries, but especially in the field of health care it is a very serious issue. "In order to secure care and make our district more attractive for young doctors, we will further intensify our existing measures and launch additional ones," Karl-Friedrich Frese explained.

"Becoming a country doctor" is one of these projects, which among other things aims to address medical students and arrange internships in local medical practices. "Many young people move to the conurbations to study. With this project, we want to remind them that they can also practise their profession in rural areas. True to the motto, live where others go on holiday," added the Head of Health.

But this alone is not enough to be armed against the future challenges of securing medical care - such as the shortage of skilled workers. "We are thinking about bringing together representatives from all institutions and sectors that are involved in promoting, maintaining and restoring health on the ground. In this conference, problems are to be discussed together and work packages put together. These work packages will then be worked on in small working groups and concrete proposals for solutions and measures for action will be drawn up," the First District Commissioner continued. At the same time, the Health Department continues to coordinate various measures to ensure the care of citizens and to promote their health.

Caption: First District Councillor Karl-Friedrich Frese visits the Vitos Outpatient Clinic for Children and Adolescents and Day Clinic for Mental Health in Korbach together with the Health Department.