“Daddy, I feel sick,” the ten-year-old whines. Shortly afterwards he vomited, and a few hours later his fever rose to over 39 degrees. The parents just want quick help.
In Lower Austria this is (unfortunately) not always easy. Pediatricians with a health insurance contract are not the only places you should look with a magnifying glass in Vienna. But even in one or two clinics things are getting tight now! Now, due to a lack of (specialized) doctors, the obstetrics and gynecology department at the Waidhofen an der Ybbs hospital also has to close. There are simply not enough doctors to guarantee a safe environment 24 hours a day. Until recently, specialists were searched for in vain, including abroad. This problem doesn’t just affect hospitals.
Even in the private sector, colleague Christoph Weisgram reported, there are growing gaps in medical care. Initially it was the national doctor guarantee that only created a few jobs. Now a pool of doctors should have alleviated the situation. So far nothing has come of this. And something starts that causes hot flashes even when you’re not sick. No one is responsible, no one in politics is to blame. Not State Councilor for Health Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig (SPÖ), not State Councilor for Hospitals Ludwig Schleritzko (ÖVP), not State Councilor Christoph Luisser (FPÖ), who heads the Lower Austrian Health and Social Fund, and not State Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner.
It is said that the medical association or the ministry could be to blame. Of course they deny that too. And there are still fears that the situation will continue to deteriorate as the year progresses. As a father and as a citizen I have to say: it doesn’t matter who is not responsible. It is time for politicians to take action and tackle the problem. It’s about our health and the health of our loved ones!
Source: Krone
I am George Kunkel, an author working for Today Times Live. I specialize in opinion pieces and cover stories that are both informative and thought-provoking – helping to shape public discourse on key issues. My work is regularly featured across the network’s many platforms, including print media and social media.
