Status: 02/06/2021 10:10 p.m.
In Hamburg-Wandsbek, the head of the health department has resigned. Apparently the manager does not agree with the decisions of the district administration. There are also problems with tracing contacts with corona infected people.
The head of the Wandsbek health department, Frauke Ishorst-Witte, is a valued pandemic manager among superiors and employees. The doctor built a powerful team during the Corona crisis. Social Senator Melanie Leonhard (SPD) only announced in November that to set up a “task force” with up to 250 employees in the Wandsbek health department.
Not enough rooms in the health department
The fact that the head of the health department has now resigned is an indication of several problems in the authority. One point of contention is how to deal with the scarce space: The many additional employees who were added because of the corona pandemic occupy offices of other departments. The district office manager had therefore decided to outsource parts of the health department.
Employees criticize the district office manager
But many in the health department consider such a spatial separation to be wrong. The work is made extremely difficult by the various locations, according to a letter from many employees: inside to the mayor. You speak of a dismantling of the health department. Even for the head of the health department Ishorst-Witte, the question of space was probably decisive for her termination.
According to the district office, all options have been examined
The district office only replies in writing to the allegations: Many options have been examined, despite the home office, the offices are unfortunately now needed. Politicians from the Greens and the Left criticize this decision. Deniz Celik, health expert for the Left Group, said: “In the midst of the pandemic, I find it unbelievable that employees in the health department should now leave the premises.”
Gudrun Schittek, health expert in the Green Group, says: “The highest priority must be people’s health. And that is more important than anything else. Other processes must be subordinate to it.”
Problems with the central corona contact tracking?
But in addition to the space problems, harsh criticism of the Hamburg-wide central contact tracking for corona infections, which is located in Wandsbek, has also been expressed. Often, non-specialist employees are deployed there who have not been adequately trained. As a result, people were repeatedly not tested for corona despite symptoms.
Greens want to investigate possible grievances
“Something like that shouldn’t be,” said Schittek. The highest authority must always have a competent specialist – and that is the doctors in the public health service. “We will investigate it in any case, if there are actually grievances,” said the Green politician.
Left fear loss of qualified staff
According to the criticism, the health authorities were hardly involved in setting up the central contact tracking. “That leads to great resentment and chaos,” said left-wing politician Celik. “We fear that further skilled personnel could migrate who can hardly be replaced.”
Social authority does not comment on the termination
The social authority did not want to comment on the issue of dismissal. The head of the health department is now taking her vacation until the end of June and compensating for overtime – and probably has no follow-up job yet.
Further information
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