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Medical students at the University Hospital in Göttingen
Photo: A3803 Jochen Lübke/ dpa
The Marburger Bund doctors' association has urgently warned of the consequences of a "retirement wave" among doctors.
According to the German Medical Association, around 54,000 working doctors are between 60 and 65 years old, and another 35,500 are over 65 years old, explained association head Susanne Johna.
"That means that almost 90,000 doctors from all areas of care will retire in the near future due to age," said Johna.
This means that around 22 percent of working doctors in clinics and practices have only been working for a few years or are about to retire.
Against this background, Johna called for an expansion of capacities in medical studies by at least ten percent.
This is right at the top of the political agenda.
"Cucking away doesn't help - we need more young doctors to be able to at least partially compensate for the growing need for replacements due to the retirement of the baby boomers."
The Marburger Bund is the association of all employed and civil servant doctors.
With around 131,000 members, it claims to be the largest German doctors' association and Germany's only doctors' union.
The 230 delegates of the association met in Bremen at the weekend to kick off their general meeting, which takes place a few days before the Doctors' Day in Bremen.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) is also expected to attend Doctors' Day on Tuesday.
him/dpa