After the start of the vaccination: General practitioners strongly criticize - "The worst day in my practice in 20 years"

For almost a week, family doctors have also been allowed to vaccinate against Covid-19.

But the start is slow.

The doctors complain to the government - but an appeal also goes to the patients.

Munich - "That won't be a big step yet, but an important one," said Jens Spahn, already before Easter, when the vaccination started in the general practitioners' practices.

In addition to the vaccination centers, they have been a central part of the federal government's corona vaccination campaign since Tuesday (April 6).

But while the euphoria was still great at the beginning, reality clouded the picture a few days after the start.

Many family doctors struggle with the same problems.

Vaccination start in the family doctor's practice: Doctors right at the beginning at the end - "worst day in my practice"

"That was the worst day in my practice in 20 years," said family doctor Thomas Aßmann from Lindlar to

rp-online

after the vaccination started on Tuesday.

Although not a single dose of vaccine had reached the doctor at this point, the start was already bumpy.

There are numerous questions from patients about the vaccination procedure to be answered.

The uncertainty surrounding Astrazeneca's vaccine would also require more intensive consultations.

The phone hardly stands still.

"My employees are at the end, the waiting patients are kneading on the street," said Assmann.

"It is annoying that such clubs are thrown between the legs of the doctors", so also the association spokeswoman Monika Baaken.

The high bureaucratic hurdles that family doctors face are also proving to be a stick.

The fears they had expressed before the campaign started have apparently been confirmed.

Vaccination start in general practitioners' practices: bureaucracy hinders vaccination success - but doctors also address requests to patients

26 billing digits for only 24 vaccination doses?

The doctor Guido Pukies from Neuss had to enter exactly this number of five-digit identification numbers for the small amount of vaccine, he reports one day after the start of the vaccination in the

WDR Morgenecho

.

And ordering the vaccines is no fun either.

The practice needed an hour and a half to fill out the first prescriptions, which usually only takes a few seconds with other remedies.

We "finally solved it with Tipp-Ex," says Pukies.

"These are all things that are very regrettable and that really sadden the great joy that the doctors initially had."

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The vaccination start in the general practitioners' practices was bumpy in many places.

© Christian Charisius / dpa

The family doctor would like the vaccine deliveries to be more predictable in the next few weeks.

Often the doctors do not know how many doses they will receive in the next week.

But the vaccinations have to be planned carefully.

Most practices only vaccinate after regular consultation hours.

Distances and hygiene would have to be observed.

In addition, time windows are required for the follow-up observation of the vaccinated.

But an appeal is not only going to the government.

The doctors also have a wish for the population.

"I would like to strongly advise against making inquiries to the doctor's office by phone at the moment," said one of the family doctors.

These must also adhere to the usual vaccination sequence.

"We are really beyond our capabilities and are simply overwhelmed by these inquiries." As Aßmann already described: Otherwise the phone will no longer stand still.

(chd)

List of rubric lists: © Christian Charisius / dpa