Doctors in Berlin demand “noticeable consequences” - those who have not been vaccinated should bear treatment costs

The intensive care units in Germany are working to the limit.

In addition to a lockdown, doctors in Berlin are also calling for mandatory vaccinations - and for unvaccinated people to share the costs.

Berlin - The coronavirus situation in Germany is coming to a head, the intensive care units are full.

Germany now has the fourth highest number of corona deaths * in Western Europe.

Now the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KV) Berlin has spoken.

She demands a nationwide lockdown for unvaccinated people and a general compulsory vaccination *.

Berlin doctors: Unvaccinated people should contribute to treatment costs

In addition, unvaccinated people who are admitted to a clinic with a Covid-19 infection * or who have to be treated in an intensive care unit should contribute to the costs of hospital services.

This emerges from a press release from KV.

"With a compulsory vaccination alone we don't get any further here", explains the KV board in the letter.

"The high proportion of people who have not yet been vaccinated will otherwise lead us into a catastrophe and overload our health system to a degree that we have never seen before," said the board of directors.

The board of directors is not only looking at the high costs of the pandemic, but especially the generations who are particularly hard hit by the pandemic: “Because 13 million people in our country do not want to be vaccinated, it is mainly children, adolescents and young people who suffer in training, but also elderly and vulnerable people.

It can't go on like this. ”So far, the costs of the pandemic have been financed by all taxpayers - regardless of their vaccination status.

Doctors in Berlin call for mandatory vaccinations

That should change now, demands the KV.

Unvaccinated people who are dependent on hospital services due to a corona infection should contribute to the costs in the future through a personal contribution or a surcharge on the health insurance contribution.

The income resulting from this could receive nursing staff in the inpatient area or the medical assistants in outpatient care could benefit. 

"The time has come for compulsory vaccination," demands the association.

In order to enforce this, it should not only be on paper, but should also have "noticeable consequences if it is not observed."