No bottlenecks in Mannheim's rescue service - aid organizations support each other.
(Mannheim, 11.01.2022) The current Corona situation also poses challenges for the rescue service in Mannheim, but there are currently no bottlenecks. "We are currently well positioned," says Hendrik Maier, head of rescue services at ASB Mannheim/Rhine-Neckar Region. The aid organizations regularly consult with each other to cushion potential bottlenecks and plan ahead. In addition, numerous measures have been agreed with the state of Baden-Württemberg that could take effect if the numbers continue to rise. Among other things, these contingency plans would include greater involvement of trainees and the establishment of disinfection lines to ensure that ambulances can be changed more quickly. Even if the situation were to be further aggravated by the Omikron variant, for example, the four aid organizations ASB Mannheim/Rhine-Neckar Region e.V., the DRK-Kreisverband Mannheim e.V., the Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe e.V. Regionalverband Baden and the Malteser Hilfsdienst e.V. do not see any threat to the rescue service. "The people in Mannheim and in the Rhine-Neckar district will continue to be safely and competently cared for by our rescue services," explains Markus Sander, rescue service manager of the Mannheim DRK district association. The cooperation between the aid organizations is very good, and arrangements are often made on a daily basis. Likewise, the regular, weekly exchange with the relevant clinics, emergency rooms, control centers and payers is unbureaucratic and efficient.
High vaccination rate among employees
A very large proportion of the total of around 745 employees in the emergency services sector have been vaccinated and boostered. The vaccination rate is 90 percent on average at all four aid organizations. Regardless of their vaccination status, all employees must be tested at least three times a week or, as a general rule, before they go on duty. Unvaccinated employees are always tested daily when they start work. Currently, there are no Corona outbreaks in the aid organizations. In individual cases, there are positive tests, and the affected employees are then immediately sent into quarantine. A comprehensive hygiene concept provides, among other things, for team separation and spatial separation. The measures are reviewed and updated on a regular basis. The aid organizations follow the guidelines of the state of Baden-Württemberg. At the beginning of the pandemic in January 2020, some employees in the rescue service were initially infected with Covid-19. However, these infections were stopped by the vaccination campaign in January 2021 at the latest. In the meantime, there are almost no more infections in the service environment.
Rescue service in Mannheim well positioned
A total of around 745 employees work in the rescue service at the four aid organizations, and 126 young people are undergoing training. In addition, there are another 85 people who are doing either federal voluntary service or a voluntary social year with the organizations. This means that the rescue service in the Mannheim/Rhine-Neckar area is well positioned and has no capacity problem.
The press representatives of the respective organizations will be happy to answer any questions you may have.