As expected, the announcement of a ban on the choice of doctors for Viennese hospital doctors by the Vienna City Councilor for Health Peter Hacker (SPÖ) in the “Krone” met with strong criticism from the medical association: its chairman Johannes Steinhart sees “pure sham”. politics on the backs of the Viennese people”.
“Forced restrictions on professional freedom will drive even more doctors out of hospitals forever,” Steinhart said in a broadcast on Saturday. Hacker wants to put an end to the practice of doctors working only a few hours in public hospitals around the New Year and the rest in private practices.
“We are currently negotiating with the personnel representatives in the context of the second personnel package. I have nothing against elective physicians. But everyone who works part-time in public health is obliged to this system,” Hacker said in the “Krone”. “So you can work 20 hours in a hospital and 20 hours in a primary care center. But ten hours in a public hospital and the rest in private practice will no longer be the case in the future.”
For the Vienna Medical Association, the announcement that hospital doctors will not have additional jobs in the field of elective medicine in the future is “incomprehensible and completely unacceptable,” the broadcast said. “Threatening anti-worker bans during the election campaign also contradicts all principles of worker-friendly politics.”
“The patients will be the patients”
Steinhart, president of the Austrian and Vienna Medical Associations, pointed out that such a “forced restriction on professional freedom” would lead to many doctors giving up their jobs in hospitals. “This will greatly worsen the situation in our healthcare facilities and patients will suffer again.”
The medical association called on hackers to enter into discussions quickly. “Reconsider your hasty and ill-advised move, Mr. City Council,” Steinhart demanded. Rather, what is needed are “pathways and concepts that will secure our solidarity-based healthcare system in the long term and improve doctors’ working conditions,” and the Medical Association is “ready to negotiate quickly with constructive suggestions.”
FPÖ speaks of a “populist measure”
There is also criticism from the Vienna FPÖ: “A ban on doctors’ profession is not only a populist measure, but also greatly endangers healthcare in Vienna,” Blue health spokesman Wolfgang Seidl said in a broadcast. “It’s frightening that Hacker doesn’t seem to understand the consequences of his decisions.”
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.
