Mathias Harnak controls with his life on a precipice. He is 36 years old, has lost his job, his health insurance and his Confidence. He refuses to go, is depressed and is at risk of being homelessness. Hartz IV, the former representative does not wish to accept and if he goes to the job centre, makes his despair even greater. Because Harnaks half of the upper jaw is completely toothless. “Without these teeth, we can use you in your former career as a representative of nowhere”, tells him his Executive officer.
looking for help Harnak ends up in practice without borders. In the outpatient clinic in the basement of a nursing home in the district of Hamburg-Horn people who don’t have health insurance can have free medical care. A total of 45 medical Doctors take care of you in the exchange once a week on a volunteer basis to patients, nurses, interpreters and a Social worker. Eight departments are represented, of ophthalmology about gynecology to dentistry. Also Harnak find support here. The dentists in the practice take its and ensure that the 36-Year-old a set of Teeth – and thus the Chance for a better future.
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“No poor devices for poor people”: Professor doctor Peter Ostendorf in one of the modern treatment room the practice without limits for people without health insurance
©Marc Drewello/star
practice without borders lives of donors and sponsors
Mathias Harnak is not really so. But his fate is real and it is an example for the fates of many of the patients treated in the practice without limits. Thanks to you have this treatment, Professor Dr. Peter Ostendorf. The former chief physician of the Hamburg Marie hospital of the North-German practice-without-borders-network-inspired clinic for Uninsured three years ago launched, then in three rooms, the Care for him to the retirement home & Living for free.
“I had the first idea to the practice in October 2013,” says Ostendorf, with a quiet, warm voice, as he leads the now on more than 300 square meters of accumulated ambulance. “Then I took six months to plan the whole thing and start a club.” This is extremely important, explains the physician, because only a nonprofit organization could collect donations and issue donation receipts. “The Hamburger is donating,” says Ostendorf. “But he wants a donation receipt.”
“, I always say: ‘We bring peace'”
And without donations, nothing works in practice, without limits. Their funding is not made solely by sponsors and private donors, state support there is. The state should have the greatest interest in ensuring that institutions such as the by Ostendorf to work smoothly. “The city I always say: ‘We bring peace'”, says the Professor, and illustrated by a practical example of what he means:
“We have a lot of Pregnant women get a medical check-up. If this were not the case, would hit these women in the hospital, in the Endwehen. You would then, perhaps at night, to 12 o’clock and the young wizard would ask:
‘What are you doing here? Have you a Mother?’
‘no.’
‘you Have a blood group?’
‘no.’
‘you Have a rhesus factor determination?’
‘no.’
‘Are you HIV-positive?’
‘I don’t Know.’
And then go into labor. And then the poor Boy to take the right measures.”
When such emergency situations became more frequent, and the families would feel, you would be left in the lurch, there is a risk that the young fathers went on the warpath, fear Ostendorf. “So we don’t make a pacification of these groups here that we get even so much turmoil. You have to be a little bit of take into account I say to the policy.”
Hardly changes due to the refugee influx
The groups, the search in the outpatient medical assistance, which are secured to about 40 percent black Africans, 40 percent Eastern European EU citizens, also, the Russians and the South Americans and five to ten percent of German Non -, as Ostendorf reported. The increased refugee influx has changed the composition. Not going to be rejected no one, Drunk or drug users. “No, no, no, we have none,” assured the Professor. “That’s the beauty, that we don’t have to do everything. If we have homeless people, which are really bear to part smell moderately difficult to then have to wait until the end of the consultation in the hallway. The do the but like that.”
The practice without limits is in need of help: you can donate:
Foundation’s star,
IBAN: DE90 2007 0000 0469 9500 00
BIC: DEUTDEHH
www.stern.de/stiftung
the keyword is “practice without borders”
the free medical care is exploited, does not believe Ostendorf. Each was asked whether he was insured, even if the information would not be checked. “Recently a lady was insured here, said: ‘Yes’m,’ says the physician. “I said: ‘Then we can’t treat you.'” Then he asked the woman why she had come? Your answer conjures up still with a Smile on his face, as he gives it back: “Here so-good Doctors should be.”
The lady is likely to have a legal, because practice without borders unites considerably more professional experience under your roof than ordinary health centres. To a colleague, all of the 45 Physicians were older than 65, says Ostendorf. He is 79 years old and has his full hair, and his agility, but younger. He returns also to his activity: “I always wanted to have something to look forward to,” says the Professor. “I think this is healthy and receives the physical tension, the Immune stress and mental tension. It remains flexible.” For three hours he sits every day in his small practice room, to orders, to execute, to organize operations and raise money.
And every Wednesday afternoon office hours.
Then up to 100 patients will gather from 14 clock in the ambulance. In the waiting rooms and in the hallway a carpet of sound from a variety of language spreads n. Babies cry, children scurrying about, the air smells of perfume, sweat, hair wax and homelessness. The majority of visitors wait patiently, until the number drawn is displayed on the electronic Display, or your Name is called. And for the rare case that someone snapped, sitting on the corridor a security guard.
“No poor devices for poor people”
Who comes to the series, expect a squeaky clean, freshly furnished treatment rooms with the best medical equipment. It ultrasound, ECG and lung function test equipment, a complete dental room with a small x-ray apparatus, colposcope for gynecological examinations, a labor writer and an ultra-modern, Cabinet large sterilizer. “The thing costs 27,000 euros. The have donated to us,” says Ostendorf, full of gratitude, and pointing to a sign with the name of the benefactor: the Hamburg donations Parliament – a non-profit organization that helps for more than twenty years, the poor, the homeless and lonely in Hamburg, Germany.
the most generous donors to the clinic, however, is a wealthy citizen of Hamburg. Via his eponymous Foundation, the former contractor Reimund C. rich, Born in 1933, has financed the entire Development of the practice in the basement of the Horner nursing home. “The has reported spontaneously with me,” says Ostendorf the first contact with the childless widower. “And after speaking of two hours, he says: ‘do you Want a house or do you want a bunk?’ And I told: A floor is enough for me.’ And then stuck here, 450.000 euros.”
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Waiting for the help to patients in the outpatient clinic for Uninsured in Hamburg-Horn
©Marc Drewello/star
“No poor devices for poor people”, this motto has followed Professor Ostendorf from the beginning of his project. And thanks to the sponsors, he was able to implement them consistently. “The colleagues that come to us, and to work, to say: ‘This is more modern than in our own practices that we have abandoned,” says the 79-Year-old. The working conditions in the clinic for the Doctors in retirement as they had hoped during their active time, and “how we doctors think of us the ideal way”. “We don’t need to pay attention to the time,” explains the Professor. “We will make the investigations that are needed. All. But we do not make any unnecessary, because we have to earn no money, and no money.”
patients are often insolvent self-employed
3682 patients in the care of the ambulance in this way, already in the first ten months of this year. In 2016, there were about 2900 -throughout the year. “This has accelerated yet again insane,” says Ostendorf. Why, don’t know the Professor well. Of course the practice will always be well-known, but there is probably more Uninsured in Germany, he suspects. About 80,000 were in 2015, according to the every four years by the Federal Statistical office Figures. In fact, the trend was even on the decline. As of 2011, were registered in 128,000 people without health insurance and 2007 196.000. A precise comparison is not possible, since in the meantime both the law as well as the survey method changed. In addition, it is likely to be a very high number of unreported cases, because in the statistics, neither the homeless nor illegal immigrants are taken into account.
not everyone falls But also, if the number of patients is growing rapidly, it is easy to take the free assistance of the ambulance. Especially German have often overcome great shame and not make themselves known, sometimes, only if it was really different, says Ostendorf its observations. Many of them are insolvent former self-employed persons. “They were insured in private, usually. SMEs, three, four, ten, five ten employees,” says the Professor. “All of a sudden the company does not go bust. And then the first, the health insurance whiz. Fire insurance, car insurance, can you still continue to run. And after 10 years you suddenly have a serious illness. And then you come here.”
kidney tumor in a 45-Year-old discovered
The disease, which the Doctors in Horn in their work are confronted with, are as varied as their patients. Many black Africans, for example, suffered from high blood pressure, explains Ostendorf, but also in stomach and bowel problems. “You have the infections we have here is less, but diseases typical of the Tropics. We discover again and again very many Hepatitis and HIV carriers.” Patients from Eastern Europe are often infected with rare tuberculosis pathogens. And in the case of pregnant women, you encounter the typical pregnancy issues – bleeding, water retention, back pain, heartburn.
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But also cases of cancer occur again and again. “Now we have just discovered a kidney tumor in a 45-year-old patient, who knew nothing of it,” says Ostendorf. “We have brought to the Operation, and then it has been minimally taken non-invasively half of the kidney out with the Tumor, and the other half remained inside. So modern medicine is now. The tube method. Minimally invasive.” Just the man had been again in practice, according to the doctor. Since he had examined him. “Everything looks splendid. The is back in order.”
In order Mathias Harnak is. “When he came to us, he was very distressed, very” recalls Ostendorf. “Our dentists have provided him then wonderful.” Suddenly, the Patient started again to wash, from its surroundings, clothes and get back in the job centre are presented. “And now he travels around as a representative in the landscape,” says the Professor. “At the age of 36, he has turned the curve around 180 degrees and is back on the road to a normal, self-determined life. Wonderful!”
The practice without limits is in need of help: you can donate:
Foundation’s star,
IBAN: DE90 2007 0000 0469 9500 00
BIC: DEUTDEHH
www.stern.de/stiftung
the keyword is “practice without borders”
