Family doctors react to new measures: No force to push them on a "needle"

Photo: EPA-EFE / GEORGI LICOVSKI

There is no force that can persuade a patient to be vaccinated if he or she does not want to. The first thing he will tell me is - "I should be vaccinated, and you should spend 30 denars per patient". "We should be top-shop telecom operators instead of doctors," Dr. Lazarov told Sloboden Pecat.

In my office, just over 40 percent of the vaccinated patients are vaccinated against covidium. Everyone else I have tried to talk to, formally or informally, does not even want to hear about vaccination.

This is the reaction of the family doctor and president of the Association of Young Doctors and Trainees, Dr. Nenad Lazarov, to the proposal of the Commission for Infectious Diseases to the Government every family doctor who manages to convince 70 percent of "his" patients to be vaccinated against covid, to receive a bonus of 30 denars per patient. This proposed measure in order to increase the vaccine coverage in the country, should have been considered by the Government.

- There is no force that can convince the patient to be vaccinated if he does not want to. The first thing he will tell me is "I should be vaccinated, and you should spend 30 denars per patient". - We should be top-shop telecom operators instead of doctors - says Dr. Lazarov for "Free Press".

He complains that some patients humiliate them, asking him to sign that nothing will happen to them if they are vaccinated.

- Most often they do not want to be vaccinated for nebulous reasons, and then, when they come sick, they ask me to treat them, they regret it - says Dr. Lazarov.

He added that it was wrong for the health authorities to pass the ball to the family doctors for the failed vaccination campaign. In addition, it is debatable for him that they do not have a database of vaccinated, so the files should be reviewed one by one, which is time consuming.

Mitko Manchev says that the measure is the biggest disrespect to the family doctors.

- Filipce to immediately change the counselor in the primary health care. I have a practice in Novo Selo, Strumica, with 1.400 patients. About 30 to 40 percent of my patients are vaccinated against covidium. From the beginning, we animate patients for the benefits of vaccination, because I am the one who treats them, in a spacesuit, not over the phone. And now when a patient comes to me, he will tell me in person that I am trying to vaccinate him for 30 denars ?! It creates mistrust that we are doing it for money, not evidence-based medicine. We are in a position for patients to perceive us as profiteers - says Manchev.

He says that he managed to convince the anti-vaccines by telling them that he and the nurse in the office have been vaccinated, so that they can examine up to 10 positive patients with covidium daily.

- Those who do not want to be vaccinated have different reasons. The biggest is - Facebook and Google. They read unsubstantiated anti-vaccine views on social networks. When a hundred doctors tell him he needs to be vaccinated, he sticks to an unauthorized source and follows him. The fear that something will happen to them is most present - adds the family doctor Manchev.

Current tests also detect the omicron strain

The omicron strain, which is indicated to be more contagious but is not known to cause a more severe clinical picture, was not a reason for the Infectious Diseases Commission to propose any prevention or restrictions.

PCR tests can also detect this mutated strain, which has more than 30 mutations in the spiked protein. Pharmaceutical companies are announcing that they will adapt their vaccines to be able to respond to the potential danger of the omicron strain.

Some countries are preventively closed to travelers from southern Africa. Israel has banned foreigners from entering and leaving the country, the United States has imposed restrictions on flights from South Africa, and European countries are demanding quarantine and testing from passengers.

Panovski: Even without the omicron strain, stricter measures are needed

With or without omicron, there should be restrictions, such as online classes with rotations, reduced capacity in catering facilities to 30 percent and a ban on gatherings after 22 pm, said prof. Dr. Nikola Panovski for "Deutsche Welle".

- It is not a question whether the omicron strain will arrive in the country, but when. "Until that happens, measures should be taken to slow down the process," he said.

Family doctors react to new measures: No force to push them on a "needle"

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