Practices without successors Why is Switzerland short of hundreds of pediatricians?
According to the Professional Association of Pediatricians, the shortage of paediatricians in Switzerland varies greatly from region to region.
05.08.2024, 21:19
05.08.2024, 21:20
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- The Association of Pediatricians estimates that there is a shortage of several hundred pediatricians in Switzerland.
- Without GPs, children in rural areas could no longer receive adequate care, says the association's president.
- According to the Professional Association of Pediatricians, the shortage of paediatricians in Switzerland varies greatly from region to region.
Without GPs, children in rural regions could no longer be adequately cared for, said the President of the Professional Association of Pediatricians.
Due to a lack of data, it is difficult to quantify the shortage across Switzerland, said Marc Sidler, President of the Professional Association of Pediatricians, in an interview with Tamedia. It is estimated that there is a shortage of several hundred pediatricians.
Sidler said that it is more difficult to find successors for pediatric practices in rural areas. There is also a greater shortage of GPs in rural areas.
Difficult search for successors
How many children and adolescents are cared for by GPs is not recorded. It is also difficult to find a successor for a practice in paediatrics. In urban regions, cooperation - for example with a nearby children's hospital - is easier.
The problems in finding a successor are also linked to the younger generation's desire to work part-time, said Sidler. On average, pediatricians work four days a week, while female pediatricians work three days. The proportion of women in pediatrics is two thirds. More trained pediatricians are therefore needed, said the association president.
Bureaucracy without added value
The association is hoping for more support "on the front line" from the Federal Office of Public Health. "You tend to get the impression that obstacles are constantly being put in your way - with all the regulations, checks and inspections in which you can't see any added value," said Sidler. The time spent on this is lost for the patients.
An example of this is the bureaucracy surrounding medical certificates. Depending on the employer, a certificate is required very quickly these days, said Sidler. Apprentices sometimes need a certificate for sickness-related absences on the very first day. "In my opinion, this is a trend that is going in the wrong direction," said the association president.