The Vienna Medical Association recently warned of a clearing in the health system because of the savings package. It is similar in the town hall of Vienna. Health councilor Peter Hacker goes one step further: “The hat is burning!”
In the shadow of current debates about the financing of the health system there is a crawling but huge problem: a dramatic shortage of doctors. Given the demographic developments in the medical profession, the city of Vienna sees itself a clear warning – and requires a massive training offensive.
Objection to doctors
About 17,000 doctors will retire by 2035. At the same time, it is foreseeable that only around 10,000 new doctors will start their professional life. A shortage of around 7,000 people – with many reaching consequences for healthcare. Vienna is mainly affected as a leading health location in Austria.
Seen an eye in the bottom offer
A glance at the age structure of the domestic medical profession confirms the trend: according to the current statistics of the Austrian Medical Association, 16,939 doctors between the ages of 50 and 65 – that is, in the phase of life in which pensions are on its own. The residents is mainly affected. This trend can currently be observed even less in the clinics, because many young doctors are initially active in hospitals. However, there is a threat of a bottleneck of a staff in the practices, the pressure on intramural care is inevitably greater.
Average age for more than 50 years
The average age also speaks volumes: this is already 52.3 years for general practitioners and 52.2 years for specialists. The figures from the Hof van Auditors to train doctors show why the Delta is so great: about the 19,000 people who are going to study medicine in ten years, about 15,200 concluded. About 12,000 are on the doctor’s list, but actually only about 10,400 in the track. Including foreign degrees this results in a total value of approximately 12,200, but even that remains a huge gap.
“Inactivity twice fatal”
Vienna’s Health Councilor Peter Hacker (Spö) therefore warns of mass interrogation. Hacker: “Those who do not act today risk a dramatic shortage of doctors in ten to fifteen years. In nursing you can feel the training effect after six years – for doctors after twelve. That is why inactivity is twice deadly about this issue.” But the city is bound to the city. The training is a federal issue. But the OECD also advises a huge increase in the study places.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
