Darrick Robles Most medical practices are closed between Christmas and New Year. Anyone who is plagued by acute gastrointestinal complaints, lumbago or severe flu during the holidays can therefore usually not count on their family doctor. You can find out here where you can get medical help around the holidays.
It doesn’t always have to be the emergency room
Nobody wants to spend the holidays in the ER. But precisely because they are open 365 days a year and 24 hours a day, many patients are looking for help here around Christmas. The clinics are additionally burdened by the increasing number of corona cases. Doctors therefore call for people to only go to the emergency room in medical emergencies.
If you have acute, non-life-threatening symptoms, you have many other options for getting medical help quickly.
Help with general ailments
Med-Healths video consultation
Our doctors are there for you via video during and between the holidays, will issue prescriptions and sick leave if necessary – and your health insurance company will pay. Many acute complaints are suitable for telemedical treatment. These include:
- Infectious diseases such as colds , flu , cystitis
- Allergies , food intolerances and asthma
- Skin problems such as rashes or cold sores
- Digestive problems such as nausea , diarrhea or constipation
- Headache , abdominal pain or back pain
Medical on-call service: 116117
Not all complaints can be treated by telemedicine. This is the case, for example, with a high fever over 39° C or persistent diarrhea and lack of fluids. If your family doctor is not available on the public holidays, the medical emergency service will help you on 116117. The patient service staff will help you around the clock on the public holidays to find an on-call practice in your area – regardless of whether you have statutory or private insurance are you.
In an emergency: dial 112 or emergency room
In real medical emergencies, quick action is important. You can reach the emergency services and the fire brigade by dialing 112.
When is it an emergency?
- severe shortness of breath: rapid, shallow breathing, shortness of breath, or inability to speak normally
- Heart attack: Pressure, pain, or tightness in the middle of the chest can be signs of a heart attack
- Stroke: drooping of the face, weakness in the limbs, or slurred speech may indicate a stroke
- Seizures: uncontrollable convulsions or loss of consciousness due to a seizure
- heavy bleeding: blood gushing from a wound or bleeding that does not stop despite direct pressure on it
- serious injuries: e.g. B. after an accident
- sudden birth or complications in pregnancy
Help with Covid-19 symptoms
If you have symptoms of a corona infection – such as coughing , fever, runny nose , loss of smell and/or taste – you should not go to a doctor’s office immediately, but get advice over the phone beforehand. If your family doctor is not available, our doctors can also advise you via videos and discuss with you what to do next.
Another option is to contact the medical on-call service on 116117. If you have a PCR test, stay home until you get the result. However, if you experience life-threatening symptoms such as severe shortness of breath , you should definitely call 112.
Help with toothache
Dental problems, for example caused by accidents, are not always foreseeable. However, most dental practices are closed on public holidays. Here you will find an overview of the dental emergency services of the federal states .
Help in mental crises
In an acute crisis, you should definitely get help – even on public holidays, at night and at the weekend:
- If your family doctor is not available: Call the medical (psychiatric) on-call service on 116117 .
- Contact the telephone counseling service on 0800 111 0 111 or 0800 111 0 222 (around the clock, free of charge and anonymous).
- If you are at serious risk of harming yourself: Go to a psychiatric emergency room or your nearest hospital emergency room . The doctors there are experienced in providing mental health assistance. In an emergency dial 112.
