Doctors and nursing associations warn of supply gaps in the face of the debate over the return of Syrian doctors after the fall of the Assad regime. In rural regions, Syrian doctors have maintained the supply of medical care in hospitals, said Michael Weber, president of the Association of Chief Physicians, to the Bild newspaper (Friday edition). “Without them, it will get tight.” It is to be expected that a “substantial part” of the around 5,000 Syrian doctors will return to their homeland, Weber said.
Susanne Johna, chair of the Marburger Bund, also warned of a “relevant burden on the already strained medical supply situation in Germany” if the Syrian doctors were to leave. It is clear that they are urgently needed in their homeland. “We have great understanding for that” Johna told the newspaper. She hopes, however, that those Syrian doctors who have found a second home in Germany will continue to support the care of patients here.
Isabell Halletz, managing director of the nursing employers’ association, described the return of these skilled and qualified workers as “a hard blow” for the elderly care sector. “Syrian staff are highly integrated in many teams and are appreciated by the care recipients” Halletz told the newspaper.
“In more than every tenth care facility, Syrians work. Smaller facilities could be at a standstill – they need every helping hand. Otherwise, insolvencies, closures, and further care place reductions are at risk” Halletz said. Syrians are a “central pillar among the refugees in care.