Matthias Hartig - 54 Years - Pediatrician

- Interview -

When did you start doing your job?

Clinical training as a specialist January 1993 to July 1998, clinical work as a specialist August 1998 to October 1998, employed specialist in paediatric practice November 1998 to May 1999, in own practice since August 1999 - until today

What motivates you and what do you like about your job?

The unbelievable variety of pediatric and adolescent medicine, being able to put a smile on the faces of children and parents.

What do you wish for your professional future?

Health - to remain a part of the child itself - not to "spoil" it - to be able to continue to care for families across the generations in a personal and human way.

To what extent has the COVID-19 pandemic influenced or changed your field of work?

Very practical: reconstruction of the entire surgery strategy according to the tightening of safety and hygiene aspects - 10 to 12 hours working time per day with FFP2 masks for the whole team and me.

- Comment -

Matthias is a practicing specialist for pediatric and adolescent medicine with his own practice in Southern Germany and as the name suggests, my father. A systemically relevant profession which is indispensable during current times and especially challenged by the regulations. The current situation demands a great deal of tact and organisational talent from him and his team in order to be able to ensure containment in his practice.

The wearing of FFP2 masks, staggered patient flow control to avoid group formations, stricter hygiene regulations and a considerable amount of extra work in terms of time management are all associated with the current situation. The increasing number of SARS-CoV 2 tests, which is particularly related to the current political requirements for day-care centres, also demands a great deal of additional work from this department.

On average of 7 minutes, settled doctors have a very short amount of time per patient to treat the patient the best possible way. In times of increasing commercialization of our health care systems, this is a constantly growing challenge for every established and approaching physician.