Thuringia Moves to Legally Anchor Public Health Service

Thuringia will become the last German state to place the public health service (ÖGD) on a statutory footing. Health Minister Katharina Schenk presented a draft bill to the state parliament that aims to modernise the service with reduced bureaucracy, clearer division of responsibilities between state and municipalities, and expanded digital networking of the 22 regional health offices.

The legislation would give legal certainty to municipal doctors, codify health‑promotion duties in kindergartens, schools, workplaces and neighbourhoods, and formalise outreach assistance for people who lack access to regular care. It also defines the authority’s powers in crisis situations, drawing lessons from the COVID‑19 pandemic. Politicians from the SPD and CDU described the draft as pragmatic and not a “bureaucracy monster”. The bill is slated for further debate in the specialist committee in the coming weeks.