Health care rethought: Berlin's role model for Munich!

An innovative project for outpatient healthcare is currently being implemented in Berlin. According to a report by taz.de, this project not only offers medical care, but also community work, advice, self-help groups, sporting activities and public relations. The goal is to establish a new form of health care and community work.

Similarly, Katia S. is planning a district health center in Munich, which is still in the networking phase and setting up the infrastructure. Meanwhile, Sami M. sees Berlin as a role model for nationwide outpatient care and would like to learn from the approaches there. According to Kirsten Schubert, who describes the project as a lighthouse project, collaboration between general practitioners, social workers, psychologists and nursing staff is promoted.

Challenges and needs assessment

One of the biggest challenges of the project is acceptance in the district and cooperation with residents to improve living conditions. Sami is planning a needs analysis to determine the specific needs in Munich, but does not want to name a specific district. Furthermore, Sami expresses concerns that volunteer work compensates for the deficiencies of the health system, which is seen as dangerous.

Kirsten also has a desire to be taken seriously and to fundamentally change care, but sees limitations in the current legal situation that make it difficult to finance such projects. She considers health kiosks to be inadequate because they do not provide medical care and are not integrated into ongoing treatments. A long-term goal for Sami is for the project to be fully integrated in 20 years and to collectively address the systemic causes of health problems.

In addition to the emerging health centers, existing models such as the Polyclinics, themed. These solidarity-based district health centers offer an answer to the economization and privatization of the health system and thus represent an alternative to the current outpatient care structure. In doing so, they prioritize quality over quantity and exclude profit interests.

The Veddel Polyclinic in Hamburg, which opened in 2017, offers various services such as primary care, psychological counseling and community organizing. Before it opened, there was only one general medical practice for 5,000 residents in the structurally disadvantaged district. The medical care provided is subject to a special seat at the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians in order to remedy the medical undersupply.

The concepts of the polyclinics take social factors into account as crucial aspects of health. The corona pandemic has further increased these health inequalities and made it clear that social conditions are crucial for people's health well-being. The aim of these institutions is to network neighbors, promote self-empowerment and create equal opportunities.