When the two practice nurses hear the clatter of ski boots in the stairwell just after 1 p.m., they already suspect that they can switch on the X-ray machine immediately. The young man who enters the practice is immediately recognizable as a ski instructor by his red clothing. “It just hit me hard,” he says with a pained face.
A few minutes later, doctor Joachim Friese (58) determined with a look at the X-ray: the left collarbone is broken. While he discusses with the ski instructor, who is clearly upset, how to proceed now, a snow taxi unloads the next injured person in practice. collision on the runway. Meanwhile, on the top floor, doctor Gregor Müller (65) studies the laboratory values of a small patient who came with his mother for examination.
More than 5500 consultations per season
After lunch it is always very busy in the doctor’s surgery in the Chalet Almenrausch on the Valais Bettmeralp. People are hungry, exhausted, you don’t pay enough attention – and then accidents happen on the slopes. On average, 30 patients, mainly tourists, come and go to the practice every day during the high season. From sprained ankles to malignant tumors: that is more than 5,500 consultations per winter.
On the Bettmeralp, people are very happy with the «mountain doctor». It’s hard to find someone who wants to do the heavy lifting – and can do it well. Childhood diseases, pregnancy, cancer diagnoses And especially many accidents. It is actually an outpatient clinic in personal union, says Gregor Müller. Now, at the age of 65, the German would like to retire, also because he has some health problems.
New rule becomes fatal
He has found a successor in his compatriot Joachim Friese. But there is a problem: Frisian is not allowed to treat Swiss patients alone. The reason is a new law that only came into force last year. The condition has since been that a doctor must have been employed for at least three years Hopital or another recognized training institution in the Swiss healthcare system so that he can bill the health insurers.
Frisian does not meet this requirement, although the experienced doctor worked in Switzerland for several years before moving to Valais. “The arrangement came unexpectedly. I didn’t know it would be so difficult,” he says. Müller and Friese have been working together in practice since last December and billing for Swiss patients is handled by Müller. An emergency solution for this season.
Mayor fights for exercise
The two doctors do not understand the new arrangement, which not only makes it difficult to take over the practice at Bettmeralp. It could be But not that it will take more than a year to find a solution, Müller says. “If we give upthere’s a bang here!”
Mayor too martial Minnig (37) warns that closing the practice would have serious consequences, including for tourism. That is why many months ago he lodged protests with the canton and fought for a solution. In the high season there are more than 10,000 people on Bettmeralp and Riederalp, which are also part of the catchment area of the practice. “They all depend on practice.”
One of these residents is Marion from Delft (35). After a kidney transplant, the mother of two has to see a doctor about every eight weeks. “If I had to go to the hospital in Brig or Visp every time, it would take a lot more organizational effort,” she says.
All of Switzerland affected
According to the canton, there are some 20 doctors in Valais alone who have been denied approval by the authorities because of the new approval rule. And that while there is an urgent need for doctors in the outlying areas. The rest of Switzerland is also angry about the new law. For example, the canton of Jura reports that there are several cases in which the opening or takeover of a practice is pending due to the admission requirements.
The regulation that causes redheads comes from parliament. The National Council and the Council of States wanted to prevent more and more doctors from opening practices and healthcare costs from skyrocketing. However, the fact that in some specialties and depending on the region there are not too many but far too few doctors was completely ignored. And the tightening there leads to major problems.
Parliamentarians admit omission
The Valais National Council Philippe Nantermod (38, FDP) admits that he may have made a mistake when reviewing the admission rules. SP health politician Barbara Gysi (58) says that the focus at the time was “mainly on the oversupply of specialists” and that the problem of undersupply was not taken into account. The politicians argue in their defense that this problem has become much more acute since the parliamentary decision.
It was only after the new law came into effect and the cantons and doctors raised the alarm that Berne saw what had happened. Just a few months after it went into effect, the National Council’s Health Committee began defusing the controversial ordinance. The idea: they want to make an exception in the law, so that, for example, doctor Friese can take over the practice at Bettmeralp.
The change should be decided by the end of March
The National Council will now consider the proposal on Tuesday – and two days later the Council of States. As time is of the essence, the deal was declared urgent. It must be completed in the spring session. If the States and the National Council agree on an adjustment, it would probably come into effect before the end of March, as confirmed by the Federal Office of Public Health. And on the Bettmeralp, Dr. Müller could soon hand over the practice to his successor.
Not only Frisian, but also Müller would be very happy with it. “Instead of patients, I would like to take care of my grandchildren in the future,” says the doctor. He also has other plans: “I want to fly to South America and vaccinate livestock.” Even after his retirement, Müller cannot completely keep his hands off medicine.
Source:Blick
I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.
