The rescue service in Hesse is reaching its limits. The numbers have been increasing for years. It is not always an emergency.
Wiesbaden (dpa/lhe) – Rescue workers in Hesse are having to move out to comparatively harmless missions more and more often. “We are increasingly treating simple colds, driving patients to have their bladder catheters changed, treating high blood pressure levels in people who otherwise have no other symptoms,” said Jörg Blau, chairman of the working group of emergency doctors working in Hesse (AGHN) in Hofheim. The ambulance service is responsible for life-threatening cases and patient transport.
Statistically speaking, the 560 rescue vehicles of the German Red Cross (DRK) in Hesse transported more than one sick person every minute last year. The number has been increasing for years, and according to the DRK in Wiesbaden by “an average of between three and six percent a year, sometimes even more”. The ambulance is reaching its limits. The Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe in Butzbach also reports increasing numbers.
The reasons for this are the population growth and the demographic development, there are more and more sick people. Added to this are the trivial cases in which those affected dial the emergency number 112 although their illness could be treated on an outpatient basis or by their family doctor. “In the case of general health problems or if medical practices have closed, you can get the right help by calling the medical on-call service on 116117,” said the DRK.
Experts attribute the increase in trivial cases in part to overburdening people who, for example, live alone or have little medical knowledge. But one also observes a sense of entitlement. “The rescue service always comes and has short waiting times, which makes the call attractive for citizens,” said Jörg Blau. Such behavior causes frustration for the emergency doctors.
And there are other problems. There is also a shortage of skilled workers in this area, and according to Blau it is often difficult to find a clinic that can take patients. Actually, the driving time is no more than half an hour. “However, there is often no longer any free capacity in this area.” The travel times and thus the operations are sometimes significantly longer.
The Verdi union has been complaining for years that rescue workers are being overworked. Violations of the Working Hours Act are now part of everyday life, according to the employee representatives in Frankfurt. The “shifts that are already overly long become 13- or 14-hour working days”.
Most of the problems have been known for years, the DRK explained. Suggestions for improvement were only partially taken up by the legislature. There are currently several approaches in Hesse, such as the tele-emergency doctor pilot project. Specially trained emergency doctors are connected to the crew of an ambulance via live stream. Among other things, the Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe proposes creating a health control center where patients are supported via telemedicine and the appropriate measures are then initiated.
