In view of the scarce resources in emergency care, the President of the Professional Association of Paediatricians, Thomas Fischbach, calls for parents to contribute in certain cases. “Emergency care must be focused on emergencies and not for the pimples on the children’s buttocks, for which the parents have no time during the week and with which you then open the emergency service at the weekend,” said Fischbach New Osnabrück newspaper. “In such cases, I think it would make sense for the insured to pay their own contribution.”
The available resources are constantly being used up by non-urgent cases. He added: “In real emergencies, the costs can be reimbursed, which could be implemented with little effort.”
It is well known that the workload among pediatricians is high and that there is often a lack of staff in this area. Nevertheless, it is unlikely that Fischbach will be heard with his demand. A few months ago, with the support of the Union, head of statutory health insurance physicians Andreas Gassen called for a fee to be introduced for adult patients who come to the emergency room without a prior initial telephone assessment. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) rejected the initiative of the panel doctors.