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Minister Laumann (in the Düsseldorf State Parliament)
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Michael Gstettenbauer / imago images / Michael Gstettenbauer
Do doctors prefer to play golf at the weekend instead of vaccinating against the coronavirus?
The North Rhine-Westphalian Minister of Health, Karl-Josef Laumann, put this under the responsibility of the doctors.
In the face of massive criticism, he has now apologized to the family doctors.
"Instead of golf course on Saturday vaccination on Saturday" was his demand, the "Ärztezeitung" had quoted the CDU politician. The Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KV) are obliged to ensure that family doctors offer patients the third corona vaccination as soon as possible. Laumann regrets his remarks and has apologized for it, reports the trade journal.
Laumann is reacting to the massive criticism of his original statement. "Out of stock in tone and out of place," is how Andreas Gassen, head of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), described Laumann's words. »The workload in the practices is enormous. The colleagues and their teams of medical assistants have been working at the absolute limit for months. Such a statement by a responsible minister is like a punch in the pit of the stomach. "This is" unnecessary, counterproductive and anything but appreciative. "
"The numerous omissions and hasty zig-zag movements of politics are unloaded on the back of the practices," said Gassen's deputy Stephan Hofmeister.
“Such misplaced statements are likely to slow down the great commitment of the residents.
We need our doctors and their teams to get the vaccine turbo going again quickly. «Dirk Spelmeyer, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Westphalia-Lippe Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, spoke of» populism in its purest form «.
He was shocked by the statements that the minister had overshot target.
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