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Swiss authorities call on ‘anyone with experience’ to join healthcare sector as death toll reaches 300

Healthcare authorities in the southern Swiss canton of Ticino have called upon anyone in the canton with medical training to join the healthcare sector. The plea comes as the number of deaths in Switzerland reached 300 on Sunday.

Published: 29 March 2020 20:42 CEST

Swiss authorities call on ‘anyone with experience’ to join healthcare sector as death toll reaches 300

Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

Ticino, which borders Italy, is the heaviest hit of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, with 93 of the country’s 300 deaths, despite having just four percent of the country's population.

Switzerland recorded 29 new deaths from Saturday to Sunday, a slight decrease from the 34 recorded from Friday to Saturday.

There are now almost 15,000 confirmed cases across Switzerland.

On Sunday, the Ticino crisis team said that extra assistance was necessary in order to fight the effects of the virus in the canton.

Cantonal authorities called for anyone who lived in the canton and had medical experience – but did not currently work in the health sector – to register to work in the Ticino healthcare sector.

The canton set up a website which will be available from Sunday onwards on which people can register.

The appeal is open to doctors or people with a background in the nursing sector but who are currently not working in healthcare.

Stay at home – Ticino will be here waiting for you

On Monday, March 23rd, Ticino put out a video targeted at tourists telling them to stay home and postpone their trips to the region.

Narrated in English, the video is titled 'Stay home – Ticino will be here waiting for you'.

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How difficult is it to change your doctor in Switzerland?

There are a number of reasons why you may want to leave your GP and find a new one.

Maybe you don’t like their bedside manner, are not happy with the medical care, or are simply moving away and need to find someone closer to your new home.

Whatever the reason, whether or not you can easily switch from one doctor to another depends on the kind of health insurance you have.

Different models, different rights

If you have the ‘standard’ — and typically the most expensive — type of the obligatory health insurance (KVG / LaMal), then you are free to switch your GPs at will, and you don’t have to inform the insurance carrier of the switch.

However, if you have opted for one of the cheaper insurance models, then your right to switch doctors may be limited:

Family doctor model’

It is the most popular in Switzerland (and 20 percent cheaper than standard insurance policy premiums).

Under this model, you have a family doctor who will manage your care — that is, treat you or send you to specialists if needed (with the exception of gynecologists and eye doctors, who don’t require a referral).

You can’t, however, change doctors at will, unless your insurance company approves the switch.

Telemedicine model

If you have opted for the Telemed formula, you must call a health hotline set up by your insurance company.

They will give you a referral to a doctor or hospital based on your symptoms.

Heath Maintainance Organisation (HMO)

Under this model, policyholders are required to consult a particular HMO practice. Two disadvantages of this alternative is a limited choice of doctors and you also need a referral to see a specialist.

So the only option that gives you the right to switch doctors with no hassle is the standard one, with the family doctor model also possibly allowing you to do so, under certain circumstances.

The way Telmed and HMO are set up, however, switching doctors is not possible. If that option is important to you, then you will have to switch to the (more expensive) standard insurance.

The only exception to the above restrictions are emergencies, when you need urgent medical treatment.

Assuming you have the standard model, how do you go about changing?

The process is pretty simple: you can find physicians in your area either through recommendations from people you know (which is the best way to ensure you will not be getting an ‘anonymous’ doctor) or, if no recommendations are available, then through the OneDoc platform, which lists which doctors are taking new patients and where.

You can then make an appointment directly online.

When you do so, ask your current physician’s office to transfer your file to the new doc.

You don’t need to explain the reasons for the switch.

READ ALSO: The essential Swiss websites you need to use for health matters

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