Patients currently have to wait a long time for ambulance transport because there is a shortage of staff in local emergency services – at least until the next cycle is trained. As of the April cycle, only four of the 19 civilians remain at the Workers’ Samaritan Association, as chapter manager Michael Gruber describes.
October is not a good time for patients who need patient transport: “As in previous years, there will be waiting times of several hours for patient transport,” warns Michael Gruber, head of the emergency department of the Upper Austrian Workers-Samaritan Association (ASB). . “So far we haven’t had to cancel any trips and we haven’t had six-hour waits like last year, but sometimes there’s not much left.” Normally, patients need to be patient for 90 minutes to three hours.
Maximum 200 trips per day
Because this problem had already become clear, the rescue service informed customers, hospitals, homes and doctors in advance. On average, the three ASB bases in Linz, Alkoven and Feldkirchen handle approximately 140 to 170 patient transports per day, with a maximum of 200 – excluding emergencies. For this purpose, the ASB would need 20 to 25 civil servants per deployment date.
There is only about a fifth left
And that is exactly where the problem lies: “As of this year’s rotation in April, only four of the 19 officials remained; all others did not complete the training or left. We would have needed twenty,” Gruber said. Now that the January rotation has been disarmed, the April and June rotations should take on the full workload, at least until the October rotation is completed.
Lack of motivation in the April cycle
“In April we mainly have school dropouts and students who are unfortunately significantly less motivated than the secondary school students in October,” complains the department manager. “But so far we have not received any negative feedback from medical institutions or patients.” The Red Cross is also aware of the problem: of the 125 civil servants called up in April, 30 percent failed the paramedic exam.
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.
