Governor Hans Peter Doskozil (SPÖ) of Burgenland is against the shifting of powers in the healthcare sector. He rejected a corresponding proposal from Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) in the Ö1 “Morgenjournal” on Saturday.
This required more competences in the health sector. For example, central control is necessary to achieve better quality. Without reforms, the health system would be “driven to the wall,” said Johannes Rauch. The governor of Burgenland agreed that the financial settlement negotiations that had begun were not only about dividing money between the federal, state and local governments, but also about reform. However, there is “certainly” no discussion about shifting competencies.
Pandemic as a cost factor
The states have already agreed “that we are not conducting a state reform discussion, but are conducting financial settlement negotiations,” Doskozi said in the Ö1 “Morgenjournal” on Saturday. Health care expenditures have risen in recent years. According to Statistics Austria, this was mainly due to additional expenditure related to the pandemic, for example for corona tests and vaccinations, campaigns and protective equipment. “In total, almost five billion euros of public funds were used to fight the pandemic in 2021 – three times more than in the previous year,” Austria’s director-general of statistics, Tobias Thomas, said in a broadcast.
Doskozil is currently chairman of the Provincial Governors Conference and recently attracted attention with a starting salary of 10,000 euros for specialists in Burgenland hospitals.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
