Berthold Mathern (61), who has been driving the district councilors in Bad Kreuznach since 1993, is one of the affected patients who had an operation appointment canceled and postponed indefinitely. An aneurysm was found in his right thigh, a 2.2-centimeter enlargement of the artery that could burst without warning and then lead to severe internal bleeding.
Such an aneurysm is considered dangerous from a diameter of three centimeters, but for safety’s sake, Mathern should not lift anything heavy and should not strain the leg too much. However, he is still allowed to work as a driver for District Administrator Dickes and go for walks in his free time. “If I take one of the dogs out of the shelter, it could happen that I step into a hole in the ground or have a similar accident. That would be very dangerous, ”says Mathern. After his appointment was canceled by the Mainz University Clinic, he tried to get an operation appointment in other clinics in Heidelberg or Bad Homburg – without success. “It is not a good feeling to have to wait for operation without an appointment. I’m afraid that something could happen, ”reveals Berthold Mathern.
