Many health care experts criticized the crisis management in the pandemic combined with a shortage of nurses at the workshop held by the Central Institute for Health Care in Germany (Zi). According to the experts, both factors could lead to an undersupply of the population in an emergency if some things do not change in the future.
For example, Zi CEO Dominik von Stillfried believes that real-time evaluation of the outpatient and inpatient sectors, with an indication of the number of intensive care beds, is an absolute priority so that patient-specific care options can be explored.
Christian Karagiannidis, as scientific director of the DIVI Intensive Care Register, is of a similar opinion. However, he fears above all the shortage of specialists in the care of children, who could become infected with special influenza and RSA viruses in the coming winter season in particular and could then be in intensive care units in addition to normal adult covid patients and require invasive ventilation. The shortage of nurses and also a possible shortage of ICU beds could then escalate the situation, although 12 beds per ward is upper average by international standards (8 to 12 ICU beds). However, 3,000 of 12,000 intensive care beds have already been closed in the last nine months due to understaffing.
Other experts also criticize the lack of timely political action in the face of a tense disease and care situation. Patient-specific data collection and real-time evaluation measures would be lacking to react to changes as indicators through transparency. This opinion is shared by Wolfgang Hoffmann, Managing Director of the Institute for Community Medicine at the University of Greifswald, and Franz Knieps, Chairman of the BKK Dachverband. The latter criticizes above all the „regulatory frenzy“ including regulations and strict data protection in the crisis management of the German healthcare system. Especially in a tense health situation, more should be allowed that is not expressly prohibited, Knieps explained only recently.
Source: www.aerzteblatt.de