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A sick child in a children's ward at the Olga Hospital in Stuttgart
Photo: Marijan Murat / dpa
The professional association of paediatricians sees the health of children and young people - "and also their lives" - currently at risk.
Federal spokesman Jakob Maske told Deutschlandfunk.
Accordingly, a current emergency in pediatric medicine coupled with a wave of respiratory infections is causing a massive undersupply.
Above all, Maske blames health policy for the grievance, also under Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD).
The health system has been "driven against the wall" for years, said Maske.
Extra large savings were made in the case of paediatricians.
A lot of beds have been reduced because child and adolescent medicine is not worthwhile.
Since Lauterbach took over the department, the supply has continued to deteriorate.
That is expressed precisely in these times of crisis, said Maske.
»The systems are collapsing«
The fundamental crisis of the system was concealed by Corona.
But that's over now.
"We now have a normal increase in infectious diseases, like the one we see every winter - and the systems are collapsing," said Maske.
Seriously ill children have to be moved hundreds of kilometers from Berlin because there are no beds.
He did not want to accept the claim that such statements were scaremongering.
"It's not scaremongering, it's our daily life."
Lauterbach has already announced relief measures.
Nursing staff are to be transferred from adult wards to children's wards.
He called on the health insurance companies not to check staffing requirements for the time being and to suspend sanctions.
He also appealed to parents and paediatricians to postpone check-ups that are not immediately necessary.
According to Maske, the proposal to move staff to the children's wards does not help "at all".
An adult carer cannot care for a premature baby weighing 600 grams.
"That's complete nonsense and it won't bring any relief either."
On Friday, the Bundestag passed a package of laws on hospitals that is intended to bring more money for children's clinics and relief for urgently needed nursing staff.
There should be an additional 300 million euros each for children's hospitals in 2023 and 2024.
Maske initially considers these plans to be in order.
A total of 300 million euros is "not that much money".
However, only clinical medicine is considered in the plans and not outpatient.
However, the outpatient pediatricians treated 85 to 90 percent of the sick.
mrc/dpa