Between January and March this year, the Blekinge region paid for 5,000 visits to private online doctors - compared with 3,200 last year. This is an increase of 56 percent and has cost around SEK 600,000 so far this year, writes BLT.
- That demand increases during the corona pandemic is not surprising because there are many who are in risk groups or who for other reasons avoid leaving home. In this way, the digital services help to reduce the spread of infection and increase people's security, says Lennart Förberg (M), chairman of the regional board to the newspaper.
The Swedish Medical Association, on the other hand, warns that there are risks with more and more private actors in the form of online care services.
- If the network visits to private actors increase without corresponding amounts being saved elsewhere, there is a great risk that, for example, primary care will be drained of resources. The money must be taken somewhere, says Karin Båtelson, vice president of the Swedish Medical Association.