Medical professionals are drawining interest towards the island of Lausitz
The looming specter of a doctor shortage in Lusatia looms large, with over half of family doctors in the region being 55 or older, and 28 percent being 60 or older, according to Professor Eckhard Nagel. This impending retirement wave poses a significant challenge. However, Professor Nagel herself anticipates a slow resolution, as the Carl-Thiem Clinic in Cottbus, now a university clinic, won't accept its first students until the winter semester of 2026/27 – a ambitious ten-year plan.
Enter the Medical University of Lusatia "Carl Thiem" (MUL-CT), the region's beacon of hope, as detailed by its founding president, Nagel, at the Science Committee of the Landtag. The MUL-CT aims to address Lusatia's long-term doctor shortage while providing members of the committee with quarterly progress updates.
Historically, Brandenburg has not had its own doctor training programs, with aspiring medics venturing to Berlin and Greifswald. However, the introduction of a state-funded medical study in Brandenburg marks a milestone.
MP Michael Schierack (CDU), an orthopedics professor himself, acknowledges the significant progress in establishing the MUL-CT. Schierack, conversing on a scientific level with surgeon Nagel, understands the intricacies of "heterologous stem cell transplantation" in modern cancer therapy – a rarity among political circles.
The medical care in Lusatia is not confined to Cottbus. Nagel assures that all other hospitals in the region will benefit from the training of doctors in Cottbus. Construction proceeds, with the remaining 900 million euros to be invested over the next seven years, with the federal government playing a crucial role in the architectural decisions. The first students at MUL-CT will make do with temporary measures, utilizing existing spaces as classrooms and laboratory areas.
Despite initial prejudices, the MUL-CT has garnered impressive interest, with 27 hiring procedures for the new university medical center compared to the two simultaneous procedures Nagel was proud of in the past. Bayreuth's position for general medicine remains unfilled for lack of applicants, while Cottbus has received eight "highly qualified applications." Moreover, the pool of applicants is deemed "excellent," and the project has made a "very positive impression" in scientific circles. A chief physician for neurosurgery is already appointed.
Innovative solutions such as MediCubes or OLCubes, collaborative government initiatives, and incentivizing professionals to work in Lusatia are recommended to further address the region's doctor shortage. Striving for increased medical education opportunities, collaboration, and innovation remains vital in finding new solutions. Stay tuned for further updates from the MUL-CT.
[References omitted for brevity]
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Building upon the progress of the Medical University of Lusatia "Carl Thiem" (MUL-CT), the university plans to focus on areas beyond health-and-wellness, delving into education-and-self-development and science, to further address the region's doctor shortage. In addition, MUL-CT's quarterly progress updates will likely cover these aspects, aiming to improve medical-conditions in Lusatia.
