“Fire on the roof” – conditions in the favorites clinic: the opposition rages!

In e-mails “Krone” received, there is talk of a “stock shortage for stone patients (note: kidney/urine) and tumor patients”. “The conditions are just unbearable anymore,” says an employee of the Favoriten clinic.

“Appropriate measures have been taken”
“In July 2022, there was a threat report from the head of the urology department of the Favoriten clinic,” the Vienna Health Association subsequently explained to the APA on Saturday afternoon. The threat alert referred to the operational capability of the department. The health association assured in the written statement that there would be “a natural and regular response to reports of danger and appropriate action would be taken”. As a rule, these are “temporary and non-permanent situations”.

Here too, it was emphasized that “on the basis of intensive discussions by the medical management, several optimization measures have already been launched”. For example, the operating capacity has been increased by one extra operating day per week and the collaboration with the Ottakring Clinic has been intensified.

20 percent of patients from federal states
“The surgery in the urology of the Klinik Favoriten was and is upright,” emphasizes the health association. There are no delivery restrictions or postponements of operations, especially for urgent cases. Emergencies from other states would “of course be dealt with immediately”. At the same time, however, it was pointed out that the proportion of patients from other states in urology in the Viennese health care network was sometimes up to 20 percent – but one is primarily responsible for the care of the Viennese.

Because opposition is “fire on the roof”
In any case, the Viennese opposition is outraged by the report. “The scandalous circumstances discovered today in the Favoriten clinic show once again that the health policy of the Viennese SPÖ is life-threatening,” said Viennese FPÖ leader Dominik Nepp. “If there is not enough infrastructure and the employees even have to write hazard reports because patient care can no longer be guaranteed, then there is finally a fire on the roof.” Alderman Hacker is responsible for the personnel situation.

“Such conditions are unbearable,” said ÖVP health spokeswoman Ingrid Korosec. “The reported grievances and staff shortages at the Vienna Health Association clinics should be addressed as soon as possible.”