Baby boom causes midwife deficiency

Baby boom causes midwives shortage in Saxony's capital

09/05/2011

According to the nationwide midwives association exists in Saxony a real midwife deficiency. So it happens that mothers and fathers have to look for a longer time for a freelance midwife. On the one hand, the so-called baby boom in Germany's birth capital of Dresden causes an increase in the population and the skilled workers more work, on the other hand, more and more self-employed midwives have to give up their jobs, because the pay is out of all proportion to the work done. Quite often it happens that pregnant women in Saxony have to search for weeks for a midwife.

Massive increase in liability premiums
The massive increase in the insurance contributions of the liability insurance to about 3500 euros per year makes the gross salary of the freelance midwives shrink to a gross salary of less than 7.50 euros. In Dresden, according to the midwife association about 17 independent midwives have given up their profession. In the whole state of Saxony, it is said to be about 10 percent fewer midwives. Pregnant women have to worry about taking care of them, especially in the high-birth summer months. According to the Saxon newspaper Dresdens delivery rooms could also come to phased bottlenecks. The health insurance companies have announced that they will not think about higher premiums until next year. Until then, many midwives have to be partial „for starvation wages and pure philanthropy“ work, as a federation spokeswoman said. (Sb)

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Picture: Andrea Damm