Stralsund (dpa / mv) – A call from the Vorpommern-Rügen district for voluntary help in hospitals met with a great willingness to help shortly before Christmas. “360 volunteers called and over 400 offers of help arrived by e-mail,” said the district on Wednesday. “This social commitment without ifs and buts is by no means a matter of course. I would like to thank all volunteers very warmly and with great respect,” District Administrator Stefan Kerth (SPD) was quoted as saying.
In view of the tense situation in the hospitals, the district had been looking for volunteers with medical knowledge. These were addressed via the voluntary network of established aid organizations such as the German Red Cross (DRK) or the German Life Saving Society (DLRG).
The volunteers worked in eight-hour shifts in the Helios Hanseklinikum in Stralsund, the Bodden clinics in Ribnitz-Damgarten and in the DLRG situation center in Grimmen. They helped, for example, with patient and material transport, refilling materials, cleaning treatment areas, swabs or in waiting rooms. Two volunteers, a paramedic from the Stralsund professional fire brigade and a paramedic trainee, also supported Christmas Eve with a resuscitation in the shock room of the Helios Hanseklinikum.
“However, the action remains unique, because the personnel problems have to be solved by the clinics in the long term,” said Kerth. At the turn of the year, a wave of respiratory diseases led to a high number of patients with many staff absences at the same time and aggravated the situation in hospitals. According to the district, the support campaign ended on Monday. Accordingly, all volunteers receive 20 euros per hour as an expense allowance as part of the statutory flat rate for trainers or volunteers.
