The government of the federal state of Brandenburg has approved funding of 24 million euros for a planned polyclinic in Wittstock/Dosse. The funds will be transferred conditional upon a positive assessment of the application for federal co-financing. The investment aims to strengthen healthcare in the Prignitz region, which struggles with doctor shortages. The new facility is intended to offer outpatient services and the possibility of short-term inpatient treatment.

Funding from the state of Brandenburg

The government of the federal state of Brandenburg has approved the allocation of 24 million euros for the construction of a new polyclinic in the town of Wittstock/Dosse. The decision was made at a cabinet meeting in Potsdam.

Condition: federal grant

The disbursement of funds from the state budget is conditional upon a positive decision by federal authorities regarding the application for additional co-financing under the "Future Clinics" program. The total cost of the investment is estimated at around 60 million euros.

Goal: strengthening care in Prignitz

The polyclinic is intended to improve access to healthcare in the Prignitz region, which is recognized as an area with a particularly difficult medical supply situation, characterized by a shortage of doctors and a distant nearest hospital clinic.

Scope of services of the facility

The planned facility is to offer a wide range of outpatient care and the possibility of short-term hospital treatment (so-called "teilstationär"). This is intended to relieve hospitals and provide care closer to patients' places of residence.

The government of the federal state of Brandenburg has approved the allocation of 24 million euros for the construction of a new polyclinic in Wittstock/Dosse. The decision was made during a cabinet meeting in Potsdam. The funds from the state budget are to be paid out on the condition that federal authorities approve the application for additional co-financing under the "Future Clinics" program (Future Clinics). The total cost of the investment is estimated at around 60 million euros. The new facility is to be built in the town of Wittstock, located in the Prignitz region in the northwestern part of Brandenburg. This region is officially recognized as an area with a particularly difficult medical supply situation. Residents face a shortage of doctors in various specialties, and the nearest full hospital clinic is located in Neuruppin, several dozen kilometers away. The polyclinic is intended to improve access to primary and specialist outpatient care, as well as offer the possibility of short-term hospital treatment, which should relieve larger hospitals. Brandenburg's Minister of Health, Ursula Nonnemacher (Green Party), emphasized that the investment is crucial for strengthening healthcare in rural areas.Since the 1990s, after German reunification, eastern states, including Brandenburg, have been grappling with the problem of rural depopulation and an aging society, resulting in deteriorating accessibility of public services, including healthcare. The implementation of the Wittstock polyclinic project is part of the state's broader strategy to counteract so-called "medical deserts." „Diese Poliklinik ist ein wichtiger Baustein in unseren Bemühungen, eine gute Gesundheitsversorgung im ländlichen Raum Brandenburgs sicherzustellen. Es geht darum, dass die Menschen nicht weit fahren müssen zum Arzt.” (This polyclinic is an important building block in our efforts to ensure good healthcare in the rural areas of Brandenburg. It's about people not having to travel far to see a doctor.) — Ursula Nonnemacher Local authorities in Wittstock expressed satisfaction with the state's decision and hope for a quick start to construction work after securing full funding. It is anticipated that the new facility will create several dozen jobs for medical and administrative staff.

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