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There is a lack of general practitioners in the canton of Thurgau. Foreign doctors are not allowed to practice, a law is to blame.
A young doctor takes over a general practice. An experienced German doctor who has been working as a family doctor for 20 years wants to help her. But he’s not allowed to do that. The result: The young doctor does all the work on her own and is at the limit. This is a current case from the canton of Thurgau.
Legend:
The canton of Thurgau is looking for general practitioners.
key stone
The experienced doctor in the example does not receive a license from the canton because new federal legislation prevents this. As of this year, the Swiss Health Insurance Act (KVG) states that foreign doctors must have worked at a recognized training center for at least three years in order to be licensed in Switzerland.
“Fewer foreign doctors will practice”
Because of this initial situation, the canton of Thurgau lacks general practitioners. Practices cannot find successors, people in need have trouble finding a family doctor, for example when they move because everyone is fully booked. “Due to the tightening of the KVG, fewer foreign doctors will practice in Thurgau,” says Kurt Baumann, cantonal councilor and president of the Association of Thurgau Municipalities.
Successions that had already been arranged had to be reversed. Alex Steinacher, President of the Thurgau Medical Society, is familiar with examples like this or that of the young doctor. “These would be tried and tested colleagues who would have been ideally suited, who already knew the region. Due to the new approval control, the granting of the permit was not possible.”
National Council: Exceptions are needed
Kurt Baumann has therefore submitted a proposal to the cantonal parliament. There is still no answer, but the approach is open to health director Urs Martin. The government council says: “The federal government has passed a law that is completely wrong in the sense that it increases the shortage of family doctors and does not weaken them.” There are now two options, according to Martin:
Either all cantons cheat their way through and do not apply the federal law. But it can’t be that. Or the Federal Parliament adapts the law immediately.
Something is happening in this regard. Just last week, the Health Commission of the National Council said that exceptions were needed. For example, for experienced doctors who have been living and working in Switzerland for a long time. The young doctor from the example would not be at the attack either.