Physician president calls for better health care for refugees

Ulrich Montgomery makes clear demands on politics
Thousands of people from war and crisis states such as Libya, Syria or Somalia are currently arriving in Germany every day to find protection against violence, persecution and inhumane conditions. But the medical care in the refugee camps is not enough due to missing doctors. As a result, the danger increases that dangerous infectious diseases can be introduced and spread further. Accordingly, the President of the German Medical Association now demands from the policy of better organization of health care.

Care should be spread over several shoulders
In view of the inadequate health care in the refugee accommodation, according to the President of the Federal Medical Association, Frank Ulrich Montgomery, now the policy must intervene and ensure an improvement in the situation. "The supply is feasible if it is spread over many shoulders. The authorities have to organize it, "Montgomery told the news agency" dpa ". A necessary step, because many people from the war and crisis areas would bring multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis, some of which would only come to the outbreak here, the expert continued.

Improvements in the medical care of refugees demanded. (Image: tunedin / fotolia.com)

"First and foremost, you have to go to the reception centers with mobile medical teams," the medical president demands. After the first care, a regular care would have to take place for the affected people as fast as possible. But currently, the affected people would not be "timely" supplied after their arrival or examined for tuberculosis, according to the criticism. In addition, according to Montgomery, the circumstance would be that for infectious diseases, deficiency diseases or on the way contracted injuries, "in view of the sheer number at the moment not sufficient medical care" is guaranteed.

Examination should take place within three days
"It is unbearable for a rich country like Germany to let people wait for three months for a legal investigation to clarify the high-risk infectious tuberculosis," said Montgomery in an interview with the "Hamburger Abendblatt". Accordingly, every refugee should see a doctor within three days. However, it would need significantly more medical officers and intervention teams for adequate care, which could be used not only physicians and hospital physicians, but also retired physicians.

"You can not just let people into the country, then ghettoize them and leave them without medical care, hoping that they will leave. That is unworthy of our constitutional state, "Montgomery told the Hamburger Abendblatt newspaper. (No)