Dresden. The Left in Saxony is calling for faster procedures for the recognition of foreign doctors. Party leader Susanne Schaper points out that significantly fewer applications have been approved recently than in previous years. “In the last two years, significantly more doctors have applied for permission to practice here. This is certainly also related to the war in Ukraine. However, only a small number have received this permission so far,” Schaper told the German Press Agency in Dresden. Apparently, the capacities of the responsible authorities were not sufficient.
“Doctors therefore have to wait unnecessarily, which is also bad for patients,” emphasized Schaper, himself a trained nurse. There are already more than 3,200 doctors with a migration background in Saxony, which corresponds to a proportion of more than 15 percent. “Many clinics, especially in southwest Saxony and Lusatia, would have to close without foreign staff. We have to do everything in our power to speed up the recognition process.” This requires more staff and simpler processes. The Free State should hire an interprofessional team of experts to find solutions.
According to a media report, more than 1,000 people are currently waiting across the country. 1,400 Ukrainian doctors to process their license applications.
Doctors from 106 countries in Saxony
According to statistics, 3,278 foreign doctors from 106 countries are currently registered with the Saxon State Medical Association. Most of them come from Syria (416), the Czech Republic (415), Poland (275), Slovakia (238), Russia (182), Romania (175), Ukraine (160) and Bulgaria (96). A total of 3,055 foreign doctors are employed.
The issue of health also plays an important role in the Saxon election campaign. Health Minister Petra Köpping (SPD), like the Left, has repeatedly spoken out in favour of retaining all 76 hospitals in the Free State. In the 1990s there were still 130 hospitals. A new state parliament will be elected in Saxony on 1 September. (dpa/sn/KNA)