To combat the shortage of doctors, the government has created 100 new statutory doctor posts. According to the Ministry of Health, there is enormous interest in this: there are already 300 interested parties.
In July 2023, the Council of Ministers decided to finance the additional health insurance offices to improve healthcare. The new functions must be distributed among the states, depending on the size of the population. We are mainly looking for general practitioners and paediatricians. Insurance offices for gynaecology, psychiatry and child psychiatry, ophthalmology and skin and venereal diseases will also be established.
A starting bonus of up to 100,000 euros awaits
For each of these cash registers, a starting bonus of up to 100,000 euros was created to support the initial equipment of the new ordinations. Both measures were adopted by the National Council in December. The regulation that regulates regional and subject division came into effect on January 1. This creates the conditions for awarding these health insurance contracts, it was said.
The regional breakdown is as follows: Burgenland gets three positions, Vorarlberg four, Carinthia and Salzburg six, Tyrol nine, Styria 14, Upper Austria 17, Lower Austria 19 and Vienna 22.
ÖGK director: Audience “significantly more than expected”
According to the general manager of the ÖGK, Bernhard Wurzer, approximately 100 general practitioners and 200 specialists are registered. In any case, they are satisfied with the crowds. “That is considerably more than we expected,” Wurzer emphasized. According to the ÖGK, at least 50 new health insurance offices are planned for the subjects of general medicine, pediatrics and youth medicine and, if there is a special regional need, internal medicine.
Half of the 100 new posts will be set up in primary care units. The exact distribution, it was said, would be done in the respective states based on regional circumstances through social security.
Nehammer praises “important measure”
“The great interest shows that our measure is the right one and has an impact. The starting bonus of 100,000 euros makes a position as a statutory medical doctor more attractive again because it makes it easier for future statutory medical doctors to finance their practice spaces,” emphasizes Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP). We are confident that the 100 new vacancies can be filled quickly.
Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) was also pleased with the interest. “We are creating 100 new checkout points in areas and subjects where the need is great. “This is an important step towards a noticeable improvement in healthcare in private practice,” he assured.
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.
