In Saxony, the number of clinics where births take place has fallen by more than a third since reunification. According to the State Statistical Office in Kamenz, the number of hospitals with delivery rooms has fallen by 20 to a total of 34 hospitals since 1991 (minus 37 percent). According to the statistics, the number of hospital beds in gynecology and obstetrics has even decreased by 73 percent. While there were 4,488 beds in this area in 1991, there were only 1,218 beds in 2024.
In the same period, however, bed occupancy also fell. In 2024, 53.8 percent of beds were occupied (1991: 63.8 percent). According to the statisticians, the main reason for this is the shorter length of stay of patients in hospital. The number of births has also fallen by around a fifth since 1991. While 83 percent of city dwellers can reach an obstetric clinic within 15 minutes, the figures show that this is still the case for around one in three women in rural communities and small towns.
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