Divi boss calls for a premium for intensive care workers
The President of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (Divi), Gernot Marx, has one “Strong corona bonus” for nursing staff in intensive care demanded in order to make the burdens of the fourth corona wave bearable for them. “A kind of corona bonus is needed for the fourth wave, and a strong one that the intensive care workers really benefit from,” said Marx the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung”.
“We would like the gross wage to be paid net for the months with high loads. Night and weekend work should also be made tax-free, ”suggested Marx. “That would immediately resonate with people and show them that their work is appreciated and rewarded.” This does not mean that the structures are being changed – that urgently needs to be worked on. But such a bonus would give a boost in motivation.
It needs “now and immediately a really acute and strong signal of appreciation”, because thousands of nurses were missing even before Corona, and after 22 months of the pandemic, people were simply exhausted. Many employees in the intensive care sector simply could not do more, some would have surrendered in the meantime and given up completely, many more would have shortened their working hours. The bottom line is that 4,000 intensive care beds are less usable, said Marx.
the Verdi Union warned in view of the high loads in the intensive care units of an impending exodus in nursing. “Many employees in the care sector have turned their backs on their jobs en masse, even though they love it,” said Verdi board member Sylvia Bühler the “Bild am Sonntag”. The fourth corona wave “brought the barrel to overflow” in view of the years of high pollution.
In addition to the dropouts, Bühler also observes one high number of nurses who reduced their working hours and trainees who dropped out of their training. “We are threatened with a real exodus in nursing. Health care in Germany is at risk, not only in the pandemic, not only in the hospitals, but also beyond, ”she said. (dpa)
