For weeks, hospitals have been struggling with staff shortages due to corona infections. Many highly stressed nursing staff have also looked for new jobs. How are things going in autumn?
Erfurt (dpa/th) - Health Minister Heike Werner (left) sees staff shortages in clinics as the greatest challenge for the upcoming pandemic autumn. "The staff is the Achilles' heel," said the minister of the German Press Agency. With Omikron or a variant of the corona virus of comparable severity, a low burden on the intensive care units by corona patients is to be expected. However, there could be numerous illness-related absences due to infections among nursing staff. "Then there is also a risk that hospitals will have to postpone operations again."
Many clinics have been complaining about staff shortages due to Corona for weeks. In some cases, they had to close stations because of this. Werner is currently not expecting the Bundeswehr to be able to provide personnel for the clinics again in the fall. The Technical Relief Agency (THW) can only be deployed if a crisis is declared. But this is not to be expected. "The country doesn't have that many options for help," admitted Werner. "In the end, everyone has to ensure that we don't run into staff shortages." The core are basic measures such as wearing a mask, distance regulations and the corona vaccination.
The minister sees the country prepared for the continuation of the vaccination campaign. "We can quickly increase the opening times of the vaccination centers again." The remaining 16 central contact points are currently open by the hour two days a week. Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) recently said that he expected four new vaccines adapted to Omicron by autumn with approval on September 9th at the earliest. These should then provide better protection against infection and not just mainly against serious illnesses.
Werner is demanding further co-financing of the vaccination centers from the federal government until April 2023. So far, this has been promised until the end of the year. "But when the vaccines adapted to Omikron come, we may need the vaccination points longer."
