Will Germany soon threaten the collapse of the supply system?
Cancer patients in particular could be at acute risk, experts warn.
They call on politics to act.
Berlin - In many cases, the coronavirus triggers a mild course of illness, but quite a few patients are dependent on medical help or even treatment in hospital.
While the daily number of infections is increasing and the number of intensive care patients is growing steadily, there could now be dramatic consequences for patients with other diseases.
Experts warn: Germany could soon be confronted with a collapse of the supply system.
Corona in Germany: Will the supply system soon collapse nationwide?
The Corona Task Force of German Cancer Aid, the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the German
Cancer Society (DKG) paints a bleak picture: especially for people with serious illnesses such as cancer, the current situation is said to be increasingly worrying due to increasing supply bottlenecks.
The experts warn: if the situation does not relax in the short term, there is a risk of the supply system collapsing.
Accordingly, a dramatic scenario could threaten, many patients will then no longer be able to be treated in intensive care, with consequences that are not yet foreseeable.
As the dpa reports, the three major German cancer organizations are now calling on politicians to take immediate and compelling action.
Experts call for a "U-turn in the corona situation" - massive consequences for cancer patients feared
"We now absolutely need a U-turn in the Corona situation, otherwise something that is actually unthinkable in Germany will happen: Otherwise we will no longer be able to ensure adequate and timely care for each individual cancer patient," warns Professor Dr.
Carsten Bokemeyer, spokesman for the network of the Comprehensive Cancer Center initiated by the German Cancer Aid and head of the Hubertus Wald Tumor Center - University Cancer Center Hamburg.
"Since the beginning of the pandemic,
we
have been
struggling with supply restrictions, but never before have these developed as drastically as in the current third wave."
A collapse of the supply system for seriously ill people would not only have short-term consequences.
"The long-term consequences for cancer patients, who cannot be diagnosed and treated in time today, cannot be foreseen yet," says Professor Dr.
Michael Baumann, CEO of the DKFZ.
“In the future we will be confronted with many patients
whose cancer was discovered too late and whose chances of recovery are reduced as a result.
That means: Cancer mortality will skyrocket. "
Experts call on politicians to act - corona strategy is currently still inadequate
In view of this situation, the German Cancer Aid, the DKFZ and the DKG are calling on politicians to secure the supply capacities in clinics and hospitals, especially in cancer centers, for tumor patients. All resources that are required for adequate care for those affected must be available without restriction - as was ensured before the start of the pandemic.
It is not the first time that the three organizations have spoken out about the corona pandemic; after the first wave in early summer of last year, they asked politicians to adjust the pandemic policy.
It is essential to develop sustainable and crisis-proof strategies for the health system, especially with regard to the absolutely essential care of all patients with serious illnesses.
Corona in Germany: Experts accuse politics of negligence - many patients are apparently at acute risk
“Politically, we have not yet followed such a strategy. On the contrary. In the summer of last year, when the number of infections was very low, we had the impression that politicians relied far too much on a quick success of the vaccination. Here it was clearly neglected to develop a strategy for the challenges in the health system during the pandemic, ”summarizes Gerd Nettekoven, CEO of the German Cancer Aid. “Further waves of infection were foreseeable and now we have this supply shortage again, more dramatic than before. We have doubts whether all those responsible for politics are really aware that the 1,400 people who are diagnosed with cancer every day need to be treated accordingly in a timely manner. "
It is now also important that the current vaccination strategy finally gathers speed in order to relieve the health system. "In the past few weeks it has become clear that politicians have not succeeded in launching a vaccination strategy that can break the waves of infection within a short period of time," said Professor Dr. Thomas Seufferlein, President of the DKG. "Here, too, we see an urgent need for action." As the organizations continue to report, it is also important that the population adhere to the current measures. The primary goal is to ensure that as few people as possible are newly infected with the virus.