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HEALTH

Swiss government pledges 500 million francs for coronavirus-hit sporting organisations

The Swiss government announced half a billion francs in relief for the country’s professional and amateur sporting organisations, with special steps taken to ensure the money won’t end up in the hands of superstar professional athletes.

Swiss government pledges 500 million francs for coronavirus-hit sporting organisations
Supporters of the Swiss football club BSC Young Boys celebrate. Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

This week, tens of thousands of amateur athletes across Switzerland were again allowed into gyms and to exercise outside in small groups. 

The legacy of the coronavirus lockdown remains however, with professional and amateur sports clubs across the country hit hard. 

READ: How Switzerland's gyms and training facilities reopened on May 11th after coronavirus lockdown 

To address this, the Federal Council on Wednesday made CHF500 million available

The funds are split into two separate pots: CHF350 of loans and CHF150 of grant funding to address losses. 

The loans are to be interest-free until 2023 and made available to professional sporting organisations playing football and ice hockey. 

The remaining grant funding is primarily targeted at amateur clubs which do not turn a profit. 

In announcing the funding, Federal Councilor Viola Amherd said “professional sport has the possibility of repaying the funding. Clubs are public companies that try to make a profit. It is not at all comparable to amateur sport”. 

The money will not only be made available to Swiss sporting competitions. More than 60 international federations are based in Switzerland.

Of these, other than the well-financed UEFA, FIFA and the IOC, those with comparatively less resources will be able to apply. 

‘The wage bill must not increase’

Matthias Remund, Director of the Federal Office of Sport, said careful measures had been woven into the arrangement to make sure the money loaned to professional clubs didn’t go straight towards inflated player wages, while wage bills on the whole must be reduced in the longer term. 

In a press conference making the announcement, Redmund responded to comments from the public that state money should not go towards overcompensated professional athletes at the higher end of the wage spectrum. 

“We have defined collateral for the loans. Thirty percent of the revenue from media broadcasts and marketing rights must be secured,” he said. 

“For clubs applying for a loan, the wage bill must not increase, but must be reduced by 20 percent within three years.

“It was clear to us that we do not want to and cannot pay excessive wages with taxpayers' money”

 

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HEALTH

Why do so many foreign doctors practice in Switzerland?

Slightly more than 40 percent of medical professionals working in Switzerland are of foreign origin, and their numbers are growing. What is the reason for this upward trend?

Why do so many foreign doctors practice in Switzerland?

In 2023, there were 16,590 foreign physicians working in Switzerland, according to a press release published by the Swiss Medical Association (FMH) on Wednesday.

While that in itself may not seem like a huge number, it constitutes 40.4 percent of the physicians practicing in Switzerland.

And this figure is not static: it has grown from ‘only’ 9,756 a decade ago.

Why has this been happening?

At least part of the answer lies in the general shortage of qualified personnel that has been plaguing many sectors of Switzerland’s economy — including healthcare.

“This increased need to call on foreign specialised personnel reminds us that there are not enough doctors trained in Switzerland to cover needs,” the FMH said.

Medical experts have been sounding the alarm about this scarcity.

According to FMH’s president Yvonne Gilli, Switzerland is training too few doctors, which will create a “healthcare gap” and have dire consequences in the near future, especially since more people are living longer and are developing chronic illnesses.

READ ALSO : Why Switzerland faces dire problem of doctor shortages 

Where is Switzerland recruiting doctors from?

Germany is by far the country that ‘exports’ the most doctors to Switzerland, (50.2 percent).

Italy comes next with 9.5 percent, followed by France (7.1 percent) and Austria (6 percent).

The reason for this is simple and pragmatic at the same time: these physicians not only speak one of the national languages, but they are also EU nationals, which means they can work in Switzerland with no problem.

That’s because the agreement on the free movement of people allows the recognition of diplomas from EU and EFTA states, though doctors coming from those countries must still obtain an authorisation to practice in Switzerland.

Are Swiss doctors required to speak English?

Most physicians working in Switzerland have some level of English proficiency, ranging from basic to fluent because much of medical literature, as well as some exams, are in English only.

However, the only official requirement set by both the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) and the FMH is that doctors practicing in Switzerland must speak the language of the canton in which they work (which is why physicians from Germany, Italy, France, and Austria are recruited) . 

Nowhere in the official requirements list, however, is there any mention of the obligation to be proficient in English in order to be able to practice medicine in Switzerland.

READ ALSO : Do all doctors in Switzerland have to speak English? 

And if you are new in Switzerland and are looking for a physician, this article will provide useful information:

READ ALSO: What you should know about finding a doctor in Switzerland
 
 
 
 

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