Suche
Mein Konto
Delivery rooms in Rhineland-Palatinate: Alarming closures endanger birth care!
Rhineland-Palatinate has experienced a decline in delivery rooms since 2009, which is severely affecting obstetric care in rural areas.
Delivery rooms in Rhineland-Palatinate: Alarming closures endanger birth care!
In Rhineland-Palatinate, the challenges in the area of obstetric care are becoming increasingly serious. The number of delivery rooms decreased from 52 in 2009 to just 27 in May 2025. This drastic reduction is also reflected in the closures that have increased since 2009, most recently in Hachenburg and Marienwörth (Bad Kreuznach) in 2024. In Bad Kreuznach, the closure could be mitigated somewhat by expanding another maternity ward, but the situational coverage in the Westerwald district has noticeably worsened. Rural regions such as the Westerwald, the Eifel and the West Palatinate are particularly affected, where there is a critical supply situation that makes it difficult for expectant mothers to seek medical help in a timely manner. According to the National Association of Midwives, it is problematic when parents have to accept travel times of up to 40 minutes to a maternity clinic, which can not only be strenuous but also dangerous.
The special situation in Rhineland-Palatinate is also characterized by the constantly falling number of births and the growing number of out-of-hospital births at a minimum of around 3%. With only three existing birth centers in Koblenz, Diez and Bad Sobernheim and another planned in Trier, it is clear that the offer is very limited. Five of the remaining delivery rooms are organized according to the attending midwife system. The new remuneration rules for attending midwives could further aggravate the situation, as the Ministry of Health sees this as a challenge but has only limited influence. In order to improve obstetric care, a new midwife center will open in Hachenburg on June 1, 2025. However, there are legitimate concerns about the possible closure of more delivery rooms.
Political initiatives and criticism
An increasing shortage of midwives in the country can only exacerbate the problem, despite funded midwife centers. Plans for more midwife-led delivery rooms are welcomed, but the demand for the integration of obstetric care into primary care remains unfulfilled. A concept for labor support and effective emergency management is considered crucial. In this context, concerns have also been raised about the maximum accessibility of 40 minutes to maternity units, which is seen as arbitrary and not scientifically based.
Demonstrations and public mobilization
The worrying situation has already led to mobilizations, with a demonstration taking place in Mainz on September 25th under the motto “Strengthening obstetric care for women and children in the city and the country!” instead of. The alliance met at 11 a.m. at the station forecourt, followed by a final rally with speeches from, among others, Health Minister Sabine Bätzing-Lichtenthäler. Criticism of the current situation in obstetric care continues to be loud and shows the need for comprehensive reforms and support to ensure healthy, home-based obstetric care.
For more information on the closures and the challenges associated with them, see reports from daily news as well as Mother Hood be consulted.