On Monday, the Belgian Association of Medical Unions (ABSyM) denounced the administrative and institutional red tape that is holding back doctors who want to vaccinate their patients.
"Deaf to our repeated requests, the Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAMHP) stubbornly refuses to supply general practices with vials of coronavirus vaccines," said Dr. David Simon, administrator of ABSyM, said in a statement to the Belga News Agency.
In practical terms, this means that GPs have to interrupt their consultations to go to the pharmacy in person, especially if they do not work in a practice with administrative staff. This first obstacle to vaccination is reinforced by another provision linked to the institutional distribution of matters: regional for vaccination, federal for the rest.
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"The Health Care and Compensation Insurance (INAMI) has added the prohibition for the GPs to request reimbursement for a consultation devoted exclusively to this vaccination," said Simon.
"Everything seems to be organised to prevent GPs from vaccinating against the coronavirus, while a communication campaign invites their patients to ask them to be vaccinated," said the ABSyM.
The ABSyM, which had already drawn attention to these problems at the end of September 2021, is asking that vials of coronavirus vaccine be delivered to GP practices that request them.
The union also asks that consultations for coronavirus vaccination be reimbursed in the same way as consultations for other vaccines.
