Four days before a long-awaited procedure, a pensioner was sent away by email because there were no nursing staff in the hospital. His new appointment could now take several months.
About five decades in the hospitality industry have left their mark on the body of Helmut L. (70) from the Baden district. After hip problems, he had been suffering from his left shoulder since last year. A conversation with a doctor he met through his orthopedist made it clear that surgery was the only way out of the pain.
First acceptance, then rejection
According to preliminary examinations and assessments, the pensioner was supposed to go under the knife at the beginning of July at the Sacred Heart Hospital in Vienna. But L. now has to struggle through everyday life; the appointment was canceled at short notice four days in advance. “On the same day, I received a confirmation email stating when and where I had to be at the hospital,” said the 70-year-old. A few hours later, Helmut L. received another email, this time a rejection.
The patient immediately called his operating physician, who knew nothing about the cancelled appointment. Despite all her efforts, she could not change anything. L. now knew the reason: there was a shortage of staff, as the hospital also confirmed to ‘Krone’. “Due to a lack of nursing staff, an operating room had to be closed. Of course, such a decision has consequences; it has to be ‘reassigned’ and prioritized,” says a spokeswoman. However, we are working hard to assign alternative dates. In L.’s case, however, no specific date has yet been given. “But it could take several months,” he was told.
For FPÖ health spokesman Richard Punz, such conditions in hospitals are difficult to tolerate: “It cannot be the case that you wait nine months for an urgently needed operation and then – without your doctor’s knowledge – it is removed from your appointment calendar at short notice.”
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.
