Thousands of practices to remain closed between the years
After the holidays, doctors' waiting rooms are likely to be even busier than they already are during the current wave of illness. According to the Virchowbund, thousands of surgeries will remain closed in protest over delayed reforms.
In protest against the health policy of Federal Minister Karl Lauterbach, doctors' associations have called for GP and specialist practices across Germany to remain closed between the years. The action planned for Wednesday to Friday is part of the "Practice in Need" campaign, which is supported by more than 20 associations. The Virchowbund der niedergelassenen Ärztinnen und Ärzte expects that thousands of practices could remain closed. "Wherever you look: Almost every doctor's surgery is currently massively overloaded," said chairman Dirk Heinrich. 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.
The chairman of the German Patient Protection Foundation, Eugen Brysch, had criticized the announced strike, as in his view it mainly affects the elderly and the weak. He told the "Rheinische Post" newspaper that even the train drivers' union refrains from striking between Christmas and the beginning of the new year. "That's why it's incomprehensible that there are calls for practice closures at a time when many people are ill."
Health Minister Lauterbach also showed no understanding for the doctors' strike after Christmas and also referred to the many cases of illness. "The demands of the medical profession are known, they do not need to be repeated, so there is no need to strike now, especially when so many people are ill," the SPD politician told broadcaster RBB.
Lauterbach: Reform is in progress
Lauterbach wants to meet with GPs in January for a crisis summit to discuss the lamented overload and the amount of bureaucracy in practices. "We need to make a reform. This has not been done for many years," Lauterbach conceded. "We have too much bureaucracy in practices. We are now working on this." Proposals for a necessary reduction in bureaucracy and a fee reform have been in preparation for months.
Left Party leader Janine Wissler showed understanding for the strikes and criticized 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 ongoing health policy disagreements between Federal Minister Karl Lauterbach and doctors' associations, Janine Wissler, the Left Party leader, expressed understanding for the planned strikes. She criticized Lauterbach for his perceived lack of action in the health sector, stating that his call for GPs to not abandon patients between the years seemed "outrageous" and a mockery of his two years of failures. On the other hand, Karl Lauterbach has proposed a crisis summit with GPs in January to discuss the overload and bureaucracy in practices, acknowledging the need for reform.
Source: www.ntv.de
