Major lack of personnel in Germany's medical service system

Germany faces a shortage of about 25 thousand healthcare professionals. Rostock Hospital Center has created a successful model of staff withdrawal from Vietnam.

At Rostok University Medical Center in 2018, they began searching for employees in Vietnam. The approach to this centre also focuses on helping new non-German staff members integrate smoothly.

Vietnamese Thi Ngoc Lan Pham is an intensive care nurse. The work is intense, but it faces the additional challenge of working in German; a language that she had to learn first.

The Ngoc Lan works at the University Medical Center in Rostock for almost five years. She completed her nurse training here and is now engaged as intercultural trainers for newcomers.

The Ngoc Lan has come a long way to die a better future. Germany did not recognise her Vietnam nursing degree, so she had to attend her training again.

Every year, up to 25 young people from Asia, mostly women, receive training here. What is unique is that most stay at the University Medical Center primarily because of the clinic's requalification program, which includes housing arrangements, assistance with documents, and the delivery of German courses that cover typical nursing areas.

The focus of Rostock recruiting in Vietnam is no coincidence. When the city still belonged to East Germany, up to 1500 Vietnamese lived here and were called “Vertragsarbeiter”

The Ngoc Lan Pham says he rarely misses [Natura]. She created her German society in her work.

The Ngoc Lan Pham has now filled up five years in Germany, where it can apply for German citizenship. Her plan is to stay here and bring her boyfriend from Vietnam. / DW