The Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB) expressly welcomes the amendment to the Emergency Paramedic Act (NotSanG) passed by the Bundestag at the end of last week, which will finally provide greater legal certainty for employees in the emergency services. "Our commitment and efforts to reach a consensus between the various interest groups as well as the federal and state governments have paid off," sums up ASB Federal Chairman Knut Fleckenstein. "The decision now taken has finally established the necessary legal certainty for emergency paramedics with a realistic view of operational practice." According to the amended version of the NotSanG, which is expected to come into force in February, emergency paramedics are allowed to perform curative measures on their own responsibility until the arrival of an emergency physician, if this is necessary to prevent danger to life or significant consequential damage to patients.
ASB has long been a vehement advocate for emergency paramedics to be able to use the remedial measures they have learned and mastered in a legally sound manner. As part of its campaign "Put an end to mistrust: #legalsecurityforrescuers," Samaritans had strongly promoted its cause in recent weeks with video statements and cover letters to members of the Bundestag. "We have repeatedly demanded nothing other than the legal standardization of a daily process," explains ASB Federal Chairman Knut Fleckenstein. Successfully, as the current resolution confirms. The ASB thanks the committed Samaritans in the association, who have raised their voices in large numbers and supported the demands of the ASB. "Our thanks go especially to the members of parliament who have so successfully represented the issue in the Bundestag. They were all able to make a decisive contribution to creating a legal basis that will mean a great deal of relief for our rescue forces," adds the Federal Chairman.