Compulsory vaccinations in the healthcare system – head of the old people's home warns: "It won't be easy"
Created: 03/21/2022, 10:00 am
By: Christian Masengarb
Wants planning security: Nursing home manager Cornelia Müller (r.), here with employee Monika March from reception, criticizes the bureaucratic effort of the 2G regulation and the lack of clarity from the coming year.
© Ralf Poeplau
In the healthcare sector, there is still a significant proportion of unvaccinated employees who are at risk of being banned from their jobs.
Nursing home manager Cornelia Müller calls for clear rules.
District – The 2G rule in the health care system is burdening the Caritas St.-Anna-Haus retirement home in Holzkirchen with the threat of staff shortages in all professional groups, a high level of bureaucracy and legal uncertainties, says home manager Cornelia Müller.
You and your employees would have to talk to unvaccinated employees who check vaccination certificates from suppliers, craftsmen and interns and report to the health department.
For an industry that has been fighting corona burdens for two years and that is lacking staff anyway, this effort comes at an inopportune time.
“Not everything will collapse as a result of 2G,” says Müller.
"But it won't be easy."
As is well known, health care facilities must report employees without 2G status to the health department by the end of March.
This will offer the employees counseling sessions and, if they continue to refuse the vaccination, initiate fine proceedings.
If they are of no use either, the employees are threatened with being banned from entering and working – “only as a last resort”, as the district office emphasizes.
St. Anna: No redundancies because of 2G
Müller sees this approach divided.
On the one hand, she advocates vaccinations.
Immunized residents and employees are much less susceptible to corona than unvaccinated ones.
Nevertheless, there are sometimes heated discussions about 2G among employees: Why do employees have to be vaccinated and residents not?
This has little to do with the appreciation that was emphasized at the beginning of the pandemic.
Around 90 percent of the employees in the St. Anna House are vaccinated, Müller estimates.
Among the remaining ten percent are those who have recovered and employees who will probably still be immunized if they have no other choice.
No one has given notice because of 2G.
For some motivated, long-term employees, however, compulsory vaccination means the end of their career in a geriatric care facility – if it applies in the long term.
Müller is bothered by the fact that this is still open for the period after December 31, 2022.
In addition to effort and staff shortages, there is uncertainty.
The facility-related vaccination requirement was originally planned as a precursor to a general vaccination requirement.
The former is there, the latter is up for debate.
Müller: "That pushes professions with 2G into a niche." Temporarily, they can compensate for staff shortages through temporary work and fixed-term contracts.
However, if fewer people take up nursing jobs in the long term because of 2G, this will become a problem.
What could help?
Müller wants clear, long-term rules.
This also includes a decision on the general obligation to vaccinate.
If that doesn't happen, politicians will have to check whether the facility-related 2G rule meets its goal.
Hospital: No termination known because of 2G
According to press spokeswoman Melanie Speicher, the HR department of the Agatharied hospital is not aware of any termination of an employee because of the 2G rule.
However, doctors, nurses and other employees who have neither recovered nor been vaccinated are apparently working in Agatharied.
According to Speicher, the health department is checking entry bans against around 60 employees “in all areas”.
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It is still too early to assess the effects of the 2G rule on the hospital.
Will the facility be able to cope well with compulsory vaccination in a year or will this become a long-term problem?
"Cannot be estimated," says Speicher.
However, Speicher gives a short-term forecast: If the health department should issue entry bans on unvaccinated employees, "this would exacerbate our staffing problems".
BRK: Housekeeping employee has resigned because of the vaccination requirement
At BRK Miesbach, the effects of the 2G rule have so far been limited: only one employee in housekeeping has resigned because of the vaccination requirement, reports district manager Robert Kießling.
A total of three employees in the critical areas are still unvaccinated: one in outpatient care and two in the emergency services.
You could meet a work ban.
Nevertheless, Kießling is “very optimistic” about the future.
Almost all employees and helpers "recognized the usefulness of vaccination" and were immunized.
Even if the three unvaccinated nursing and rescue service employees should fail, the performance of the BRK Miesbach is “continued to be secured in all performance areas”.
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