In all of Vienna, exactly 714 beds are currently blocked. And it could be more, because the nursing staff should stop every day. The effects can be seen in the example of urology in the AKH.
Eight clinics of the Vienna Health Association take over the medical care of the city. However, due to staff shortages, hospitals cannot fully utilize their capacities. In all of Vienna, 714 beds are currently blocked, which corresponds to 13.5 percent of the total capacity. Compared to the bed quotas of the individual institutions, it is as if the entire Landstrasse clinic (712 beds) is closed.
However, according to the Vienna Health Association, there are 1,000 free beds. “The only question is why these are free,” says a doctor from the Donaustadt clinic. Due to the staff shortage, even fewer beds would be available. “The situation is serious, there are two to three layoffs every day,” the former doctor reports. And the WIGEV also confirms that 180 employees left (retirement or lay-off) between May and September alone at the clinic in Donaustadt.
Only the most severe cases are operated on
The situation is also acute in the urology department of the AKH. The department’s medical staff has written a threat report (we reported). The reason for this is the reduction of beds by up to 80 percent and the increase in waiting times for surgery in non-threatening diseases of up to six months.
The head of department has been pointing out the lack of resources in writing and orally for more than six years. “We went through official channels. But that was of no use,” said Primar Shahrokh Shariat. So it was published. But now an internal audit threatens. According to the office of Health Councilor Peter Hacker (SPÖ), the shortage of nurses is in this department only so large that the staff can be transferred internally. “The statistics speak a different language,” says Shariat. And: “We care about the well-being of the patients. It is unacceptable that cancer patients have to wait longer for an operation because capacity has shrunk by 30 percent.”
With 14 beds you can only handle the most difficult things. Broad urology is no more. “You can no longer follow the training, the burden on the staff is greater,” says the urologist. According to the AKH, the nursing department is already working on finding appropriate measures.
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.
