Switzerland faces shortage of paediatricians

Switzerland is facing a shortage of paediatricians, which could mean inadequate care for children in rural regions, a medical association has warned. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Due to a lack of data, it is difficult to quantify the shortage throughout Switzerland, said Marc Sidler, President of the Professional Association of Paediatricians, in an interview with Tamedia. It is estimated that there is a shortage of several hundred paediatricians. The number of children and adolescents being cared for by general practitioners is not recorded. There are also too few of them in rural areas, said the association president. It is also difficult to find a successor for a practice in paediatrics. In urban regions, cooperation - for example with a nearby children's hospital - is easier. The problems in finding a successor are also linked to the younger generation's desire to work part-time, said Sidler. Paediatricians work an average of four days a week ...