‘Political scandal’ – sharp criticism of the new corona test strategy

The Medical Association pointed out in a broadcast that, for example, employees, residents and visitors of healthcare institutions, facilities for the disabled, hospitals and spas are “rightly and understandably” exempted from the restriction of free testing. Private practice physicians and their office staff had “simply forgotten” about this exception “and will therefore be limited to five free tests per month in the future.”

“We know from the experience of the pandemic that health workers are particularly at risk – given the still high number of infections, it is dangerous to reduce protections for vulnerable patient groups,” said Medical Association president Szekeres.

Correct the faux pas “as soon as possible”.
“The fact that the health minister is currently ignoring these facts and limiting the testing possibilities of the ordinations is a scandal in health policy,” added Steinhart, deputy speaker of the chamber and president of the Federal Curia of Local Physicians. Minister of Health Johannes Rauch (Greens) shows “no appreciation” for the general practitioners and their employees.

The Medical Association is asking the Minister of Health to correct this faux pas “as soon as possible”. We also reserve the right to legally combat this “unequal treatment”.

Criticism of Kickl
FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl also criticized the government on Saturday, but for different reasons: “Country after country is returning to normal – only the black-green government is sticking to the regime of measures – and that, although even now the numbers clearly show that the already harmless ommicron wave is already declining.”

The party leader referred to international examples that more and more countries in Europe were “going back to normal health policies” – Sweden, for example, abolished the pandemic law on Friday and Switzerland also abolished all protective measures in place nationwide.

Kickl sees a special challenge for Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP). This allows the new green health minister to continue to “wander arbitrarily and helplessly through health policy” and surprise federal states and people with “confusing regulations.”