Berlin – The fourth corona wave is also affecting the capital’s medical sector. The crucial question is: is there a threat of a collapse in medical care? A conversation with Peter Bobbert, 43, who has been President of the Berlin Medical Association since February 2021 and has been a member of the federal board of the Marburger Bund, the union of clinicians, since 2016.
Mr Bobbert, you represent the medical staff in the clinics where the severe cases of the pandemic have to be treated. Do you see an acute or foreseeable overload of the health system in Berlin?
Yes. We can already see that we are at the border in Berlin. We fear overloading the health system. On the one hand, this is due to the number of people who need intensive medical care. On the other hand, especially because of the overloading of the staff at the beds. The employees have been working on the attack for months and have been going beyond the borders for months. The fourth wave threatens to overwhelm us.
Federal Medical Association
Peter Bobbert has been the President of the Berlin Medical Association since this year, and since 2016 the 43-year-old has been a member of the federal board of the Marburger Bund medical union, which represents clinicians. In addition, the father of three children has been a member of the board of the German Medical Association since 2019.
Most recently, half a million people across Germany were vaccinated every day. How many should there be?
The aim must be for us to at least reach the June figures. At that time we had 1.4 million vaccinations per day nationwide.
Do you still see vaccination as the most important step in dealing with Corona?
Vaccination is the way out of the pandemic. Together with the contact restrictions and the hygiene rules that have been in place for almost two years. It is up to us to break the fourth wave.
According to sociological studies, there are only a few hesitant or doubters among those who do not want to be vaccinated, but the overwhelming number of people who reject the vaccination. Do you see a way to change this?
We never tire of trying to convince those who have not yet been vaccinated. That is why we see it as very positive that the number of first vaccinations has increased significantly in the past few days. At the same time, however, we now have to be much faster when it comes to boosting.
It is a more than irritating situation that in the greatest burden on the health system for decades, capacity has not been expanded, but hospital beds have also been reduced in intensive care units and staff have also left there. Has the grand coalition failed on this point?
It is now becoming clear to us again how important a well-functioning health system is in this country. And that only works if we keep an eye on the medical and nursing staff. Supporting these people must be the responsibility of all of us. Politics too.
What are your demands to improve the situation in the short term?
Breaking the fourth wave is the responsibility of everyone in this country in solidarity. In addition to vaccination, contact restrictions and hygiene measures, there is a need for rapid support for the people in the health system who work every day for the health of others.
What do you think of the announced Corona premium for nursing staff?
A corona bonus is a short-term sign of support, but not a long-term solution. I take it for granted that the premium is not only paid for the nursing staff, but also for all those who care for corona patients, including doctors.
What are your demands in order to stabilize the situation for the time after Corona?
In the long term, we have to improve the overall working conditions for our employees. It is no longer just about better wages, but about improving everyday working life. We simply need more staff and therefore fewer patients per employee so that they have more time for each individual patient. In the health system, the focus must always be on people, not on profit.
The interview was conducted by Jens Blankennagel.