Maternity wards in Kempen and Düren to close - Petition

💥Shock in NRW: Kempen and Düren delivery rooms close – midwives and families affected

Yesterday, midwives were briefly invited to meet with management: The closure of the delivery room in Kempen at the Hospital zum Heiligen Geist on June 30th was announced. At the same time, the operator informed them about the closure of the maternity unit in Düren on the same date.
The midwives, who work independently in a duty roster system and attend to around 550 births per year, received the news in just twenty minutes. They were presented with a paper to sign for their termination – a noticeable appreciation for their many years of work was absent.

"The announcement of the end took just twenty minutes. We were presented with a paper to sign for our termination. Given the significance, many of us would have wished for noticeable recognition of our many years of work – nothing!"
— The midwives of the delivery room

Many midwives are now facing difficult decisions: on-call duties continue, but are only paid when a woman in labor arrives.

"We have to fulfill our contract until June 30th. We still have on-call duty, but it's not paid – only when a woman in labor arrives. We're scared, because who would want to give birth in Kempen with the message that it's all over on June 30th?"
— Charlotte Baron, midwife

For some, the situation means a profound cut into their professional future:
"I will give up my profession as a midwife. I've always been self-employed – to go into an employed position now is unthinkable for me personally."
— Kathrin Quinders, freelance midwife

The population is also shocked.
"This pulls the rug out from under all of us, we didn't expect this."
— Svenja Kaenders, freelance midwife

The decision hits families, midwives, and the entire region hard.
The closure also indicates a larger development: The medicalization of birth is progressing, while local care is increasingly disappearing. Over 8,500 signatories had campaigned for the preservation of maternity care in their district – but financial considerations of the management and the consequences of the Midwifery Assistance Agreement are prevailing.

The delivery room is not just a place of medical care – it is a space where families are formed. A good start in life is of great importance, and the closure hits the region right in the heart.

Read the article on moremidwives: Kempen and Düren delivery rooms close

To the petition: https://www.change.org/p/erhaltet-die-geburtshilfe-in-kempen