Health
Concerns about Corona staff shortages in clinics
The Corona summer wave leads to significant staff shortages. Photo: Marijan Murat/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
The high number of corona infections in the middle of summer can also be felt in hospitals – among employees and on occupied beds. Crisis management will continue to be discussed.
Staff shortages in clinics due to the growing corona summer wave are causing concern among clinics and doctors.
“We have received reports from all federal states that individual wards and departments have to be deregistered due to a lack of staff,” said the CEO of the German Hospital Society, Gerald Gass, to the editorial network Germany. Increasing numbers of infections are drawing attention to voluntary protective measures as early as summer. General practitioners continue to see difficulties in dealing with citizen tests for three euros.
The scientific director of the intensive care bed register Divi, Christian Karagiannidis, told the “Rheinische Post” that the occupancy rate was only increasing moderately. “However, the occupancy for a summer is relatively high, and the available beds are becoming fewer and fewer due to the lack of staff.” Therefore, the time should now be used to optimally distribute capacities. “This includes regional networks for the best possible distribution of patients according to the level of care. Cooperation, but also relieving the burden on staff, will be the order of the day this autumn and winter,” said Karagiannidis, who also sits on the Federal Government’s Expert Council.
Dahmen calls for wearing a mask indoors
Green health expert Janosch Dahmen said on ARD that mouth and nose protection is often no longer worn indoors, which makes it “super easy” for the virus. In addition to a legal basis for state protection requirements in autumn, which is currently being developed, masks should already be worn voluntarily indoors. Everyone in their environment currently knows people who are ill. You can see that there is a lack of staff in hospitals. Some summer vacations are in danger when airline employees are absent.
Dahmen also called for a campaign for second booster vaccinations in the summer. You should not only do over 70-year-olds, but also people over 60 and with previous illnesses. It should also be checked whether all adults should not receive such a fourth vaccination in order to be better able to go into the autumn with “fresh vaccination protection”.
The German Foundation for Patient Protection called for the isolation time for corona infected people, which was last officially recommended to be extended to ten days. “This may only be shortened if a PCR test is negative,” said board member Eugen Brysch to the newspapers of the Funke media group.
Infection numbers have risen sharply
The number of infections has risen sharply in recent weeks. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) gave the reported new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days at 687.7. The day before, the seven-day incidence was 650.7. Experts estimate the actual number to be about twice as high because many infected people no longer do a PCR test and are therefore not recorded in the statistics.
The German Association of General Practitioners sees difficulties for the practices even after an agreement on the billing of corona citizen tests. The chairman Ulrich Weigeldt said on Tuesday: “The associations of statutory health insurance physicians are off the hook, the local doctors are the fools.” The “bureaucracy monster” remains unchanged. Practices would have to run a cash register and collect three euros from some of them. You should check if someone is eligible. That puts even more strain on family doctor practices, which are in any case heavily in demand.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) and the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) had agreed on the billing of the tests, which are no longer free for everyone. The Associations of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians therefore continue to accept bills from the test centers and make payments. The KBV emphasized that they do not have to check the new eligibility requirements. Lauterbach had made it clear in this context that citizens should confirm their entitlement to a subsidized test for three euros in writing. You also rely on the honesty of the citizens.
Citizen tests are only free for certain risk groups – three euros are usually due: before attending concerts indoors, before larger family celebrations or visits to older people, after risk contacts in the event of a warning on the Corona app.