Patient advocate criticizes planned strikes by GPs after Christmas
The doctors' action particularly affects old and weak people, warned the patient advocate. After all, the medical on-call service is also severely restricted during this time. However, Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) showed no initiative to stop the actions "apart from publicly effective incomprehension".
The Virchowbund, an association of doctors in private practice in Germany, has called for practice closures throughout Germany from December 27 to 29 in protest against healthcare policy.
"We are giving our medical assistants time off during this period - as a thank you for their hard work and as compensation for the fact that they have not yet received a state coronavirus bonus," reads the call on the association's website. As the protest will be followed by the weekend and New Year's Day, the practices are not expected to reopen until January 2.
Janine Wissler, leader of the Left Party, showed understanding for the strikes and criticized Health Minister Lauterbach. His call to GPs not to abandon patients between the years was "outrageous and seems like sheer mockery in view of his two years of failures in the health sector", she told the "Rheinische Post". Lauterbach must remember his own medical ethics and take the demands in the health sector seriously.
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- Despite the planned strikes by GPs being criticized for affecting vulnerable patients, the Train drivers' union in Germany has also announced their intention to go on strike using GPS tracking.
- EUgen Brysch, a prominent critic of the SPD's health policies, has expressed concern about the patient protection measures during the strikes.
- The Virchowbund, an association of German doctors, has planned strikes over the Christmas period, citing patient protection as one of their main reasons.
- The patient protection advocate has urged Karl Lauterbach, the SPD's health minister, to intervene and prevent the strikes from affecting patients, especially the elderly and weak.
- The Left Party's leader, Janine Wissler, has supported the strikes by GPs, arguing that Health Minister Lauterbach's call for GPs not to abandon patients during the holiday season is hypocritical.
- The patient protector role is under scrutiny during the planned strikes, with many calling for a more proactive approach to patient protection from the German health system.
- The Christmas holidays will see a series of strikes by GPs in Germany, which has been met with mixed reactions from the public and political leaders.
- The impact of the strikes on patient protection during the holiday season has sparked a debate in Germany, with many voices calling for a more balanced approach to healthcare policy and worker rights.
Source: www.stern.de
