In the future, people without a main residence in Vienna will be referred to their home country if they do not need acute care in a hospital in the federal capital. However, this could be “not legally compliant,” said Lower Austrian patient advocate Gerald Bachinger.
The president of the Austrian patient and nursing lawyers, Michaela Wlattnig, also thinks the measure is an “unsuitable means” to relieve Viennese hospitals. So they should first see if there was an emergency situation, she told the daily newspaper “Der Standard”. Doctors should do that in the first place. The Lower Austrian patient advocate Gerald Bachinger argued again in the daily newspaper “Der Presse” with the Federal Hospitals Act (KAG). This shows “that all socially insured patients should be admitted to institutional care if they require institutional care – not, of course, only in the case of patients who cannot be rejected.”
Patient advocate: Vienna will get more money anyway
The federal CAG does not provide for exceptions here, such as linking the place of residence, he told the “press”. This has already been confirmed by the Ministry of Social Affairs. In addition, Vienna’s hospitals would receive more money than the city would be entitled to on the basis of its population. This money is intended for the national facility.
As reported, the Vienna Health Association recently wrote to the management of Vienna’s hospitals that people without a main residence may only be treated in Vienna in exceptional cases. This includes acute care or treatments offered only in the federal capital. The reasons are the precarious situation in the individual departments and the long waiting lists for operations and examinations due to the dire shortage of doctors.
In concrete terms, this could mean, for example, that a tourist who breaks a foot in Vienna could be sent away because it is not necessarily a medical emergency. If the guideline is followed, the controversial example could set a precedent.
Alternative: fight against the shortage of doctors
Wlattning proposed databases as an alternative measure in the “Standard” to be able to refer patients to hospitals with free capacity, if possible across federal borders. In addition, more wages are needed for hospital staff and more reliable schedules.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
