Berlin startup closes Doctors' gap: Mobile eye examinations in Brandenburg

Berlin startup closes Doctors' gap: Mobile eye examinations in Brandenburg

In a dramatic step, young entrepreneurs from Berlin try to fight the shocking lack of ophthalmologists in Brandenburg! The startup, which was launched in 2022, tours with a mobile ophthalmologist's practice by under -providing regions, where patients often have to wait months for an appointment. This innovative idea brings people in remote places such as Drebkau, a small town in the Spree-Neiße district, urgently needed support.

But at first glance you might think that the mobile clinic is not what it seems to be! Instead of trained ophthalmologists, specialist staff is used here. Project manager Simon Zabel and his colleague Konstantin Hahne, both trained opticians, offer necessary examinations - but without the comprehensive diagnosis of an ophthalmologist. In a classroom of a primary school, they carry out tests with devices that measure the intraocular pressure and examine the retina. Some patients, like Jutta van Almsick, even paid 69 euros for an investigation because they hadn't seen an ophthalmologist on site for years.

between hope and criticism

The reactions to this offer are mixed: While many citizens find mobile practice as life -saving, the professional association of ophthalmologists raises the alarm. He warns that acute and complex clinical pictures have to be treated directly by an ophthalmologist. The startup evades the allegations and emphasizes that the eye examinations carried out only serve as the first sighting. All data collected is presented to an ophthalmologist to ensure the necessary diagnostics.