Comments on: 10 weird things about the health system in Jena

By: jan

jan — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 03:22:50 +0000

Nice example for a cultural misunderstanding I guess.

In Germany people assume that illnesses don’t happen on schedule. This is why, if you ask for an appointment, you get one far down the road. They assume you are not sick. If you are sick, just drop by. If you want to make sure the doc is in, just ask for that on the phone, but not for an appointment.

I found out the other way because here in Spain you have to make an appointment with your doctor, even if you are seriously sick. After three times just popping into my doctors office, she took me aside and told me to please next time get an appointment first or go to the emergency room. Which by the way really sucks.

By: Connie

Connie — Fri, 02 May 2008 03:22:48 +0000

Hi..I think that doctors there want to pretend they have lots of pacients but the real thing is.. they don’t !! They want to look busy so you pay the insurance thinking that if you don’t there will be no doctors available in the city for your emergency (they have other pacients-that pay- to attend).

By: LadyRostand

LadyRostand — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:06:31 +0000

Ouch, that’s not good. The post/story as an isolated event, is funny. If it is actually the norm throughout Germany, then it’s just annoying. It’d be interesting to hear stories from other readers to see if they all agree.

ZoltarStark thinks the German doctors are protecting/feeding Vampires and that is why they take blood out of all patients

Thanks for sharing the story Moving to Jena.

By: Moving to Jena

Moving to Jena — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:54:07 +0000

Heh, this is so typical. I have experience with doctors in Saarbruecken and Bonn where my brother lived. Firstly, they are booked out for months, yet you can always ‘drop by’ as long as you are willing to wait an indefinite amount of time. Secondly, they have no interest in hearing you explain the symptoms you think might be relevant. One doctor actually got angry at me for coming to him when I was having pain around my kidney area. After some hasty checkups, he told me it is something muscular which will go away itself, and asked me rudely if I had come to him to get painkillers.

True story: my brother in Bonn was having crazy nose-bleeds and headaches. We call several ENT (Ear Nose Throat) or HNO (Halz-Nasen-Ohren) specialists but of course no one has time. We end up going to the uni clinic, where the doctor, guess what, takes his blood test and sends him off for a chest X-ray.

I am not too aware of how the system works, but I am pretty sure the doctors have a vested interest in peforming any and all tests that might be even remotely related to your condition, so that they can milk your health insurance company later.

I pay my health insurance here regularly, and thank my stars that the worst things that has happened to me here is pollen allergy. God help me if one day I require real medical help in Germany!