In order to ensure health care in rural regions, Health Minister Lauterbach wanted to introduce health kiosks. Now his draft has been canceled. According to a media report, the so-called health kiosks planned by Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) in medically underserved rural areas and structurally weak districts in large cities will not come after all. As the ARD capital studio reported on Sunday, Lauterbach’s ministry has completely eliminated the health kiosks in a draft of the Health Care Strengthening Act. It can be assumed that the austerity pressure imposed by Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) motivated Lauterbach to do so. Criticism from social associations Lauterbach had also defended the kiosks against criticism from social associations by pointing out that in one to two decades there would be a massive undersupply, especially of general practitioners and psychotherapists. The health kiosks should offer a first, low-threshold point of contact for patients and be managed by nursing professionals. Christine Aschenberg-Dugnus, parliamentary director of the FDP, described the health kiosks on ARD as an “inefficient double structure with questionable benefits for care”. The FDP health politician told the “Report from Berlin” that instead it was about “improving care, especially in rural areas, and basic care with doctors.”
