Strike - Further doctors' protests possible if there is no rapprochement
The head of Medi Baden-Württemberg, Norbert Smetak, has threatened further practice closures if there is no rapprochement with Health Minister Karl Lauterbach. Smetak said on Friday that the planned crisis summit with doctors in private practice and the SPD Federal Minister of Health next January was long overdue. Citizens were now also clearly aware that outpatient care was massively weakening.
According to its own information, the medical association Medi represents around 5000 doctors in private practice in the southwest. Doctors' associations had called for surgeries to be closed nationwide in protest between the years. The action is part of the "Practice in Need" campaign. One of the demands is to put an end to "budgets" with maximum fees for all specialist groups. In addition, a repealed regulation with extra fees for new patients in practices should be reintroduced. There are also complaints about overwork and too much bureaucracy.
Smetak said that if politicians did not recognize all these undesirable developments and did not involve the medical associations in solving the problems, the protests would not stop. "The medical profession will then unfortunately have to continue the practice closures as a means of exerting pressure."
Health Minister Manne Lucha (Greens) said that the medical profession, health insurance companies and politicians have a joint responsibility to ensure medical care for citizens, but also to make the urgently needed healthcare professions fit for the future. "Only together in dialog and with courageous reforms can we manage to sustainably secure, strengthen and shape our healthcare system for the future." Actions at the expense of insecure patients, on the other hand, point in the wrong direction. "Our motto must be to form a community of responsibility together."
Medi was unable to provide any information on the number of practices involved because the strike was being organized on a decentralized basis. The practices had been called upon to inform their patients about the closure, to refer them to the medical on-call service and to provide cover for urgent emergencies.
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- The Medical Association of Baden-Württemberg, led by Norbert Smetak, represents around 5000 doctors in private practice and has voiced concerns about the weakening of outpatient care.
- Doctors have called for nationwide surgery closures as part of the "Practice in Need" campaign, demanding an end to maximum fees for all specialist groups and the reintroduction of extra fees for new patients.
- Smetak warned of further practice closures if there is no rapprochement with Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, stating that the medical profession will continue to use it as a means of exerting pressure.
- Health Minister Manne Lucha of the Greens called for a joint responsibility between the medical profession, health insurance companies, and politicians to ensure medical care and future-proof the healthcare system.
- The strike, organized on a decentralized basis by the doctors' association, has resulted in practice closures, with patients being informed and referred to the medical on-call service and coverage provided for urgent emergencies.
- The SPD Federal Minister of Health is scheduled to attend a crisis summit with doctors in private practice in January, an attempt to address the concerns and avoid further escalation of the doctors' protests.
Source: www.stern.de
