The association of general practitioners, Domus Medica, made it clear that it regrets the Federal Government's decision to allow pharmacists to administer coronavirus vaccines as well.
The measure makes a "mockery" of all the work done by GPs and specialists in the vaccination centres, they said.
"This law has absolutely no added value for the population. It serves the financial interests of one professional group and not the interests of the general population," Domus Medica chairman Roel Van Giel told the Belga News Agency.
The draft bill by Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke, which will allow pharmacists to administer Covid-19 vaccines soon, was approved by the Parliamentary Committee on Tuesday.
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"A high vaccination rate is important for everyone, but the population is also entitled to a good and safe organisation of the vaccinations," said Van Giel. "At no time does the pharmacy profession show how they view this."
For him, allowing this is "a mockery of all the work that general practitioners and specialists have been doing in the vaccination centres for over a year now to ensure that the vaccinations happen safely."
The GP association would rather see a solution in a cooperation model in which "the GP is a key figure," but in which the expertise of pharmacists and nurses is also operated.
Earlier, the Belgian Association of Physicians' Syndicates (BVAS) had already opposed pharmacists administering vaccines, calling it "an erosion of the profession of general practitioner."
