So the ÖVP Plans to Save the Vienna Health System

The Vienna ÖVP chairman and top candidate for the Vienna election Karl Mahrer, as well as ÖVP health spokesperson Ingrid Korosec, identified numerous grievances in the Vienna healthcare system on Monday. A significant issue is the increasingly longer waiting times for examinations, outpatient visits, and operations. The system is overloaded, but the city government downplays the crisis and ignores constructive criticism.

ÖVP: City of Vienna Ignores Overload of Outpatient Clinics

The state party chairman sees the influx of people from third countries as one of the causes of the grievances. Since 2010, 200,000 people have already come to Austria. The fact that the system has not been adjusted and these people partly "have no idea" how the Austrian healthcare system works leads to the overload of outpatient clinics. It is therefore urgently necessary to manage patient flows and educate the population accordingly.

In addition to immigration, the "waste" of budgetary funds is particularly "not the answer to the current crisis." The city government has already spent 39.6 million euros on external consulting for the healthcare reform. Mahrer also criticized the expenditure of 860,000 euros for the renaming of hospitals and the further postponement of a hospital reform announced since 2012.

Health Number 1450 Also Demanded for Appointment Bookings, Video Examinations in the Future

The ÖVP Vienna sees the fundamental expansion of the hotline 1450 as a central solution approach. In the future, it should not only provide advice but also enable direct appointment bookings and the management of patients, according to the state party chairman. Telemedicine and video examinations should also be focused on, but further analog advice in a pharmacy should be organized via the hotline. The goal is to handle the health problems of "as many people as possible in this way, so they are not immediately sent to the outpatient clinic." Referring to a study by the Chamber of Commerce, Mahrer emphasized that around nine million outpatient visits could be prevented in this way. Despite the additional expenses for personnel, etc., this "decisive" relief of the hospital system would enable annual savings of up to 2.4 billion euros, according to the VP leader.

ÖVP Criticizes Lack of Efficiency of Existing Infrastructure in Vienna

To implement these measures, the city government must reorganize itself both technically and in terms of personnel and organization. It is also important to "make professions more attractive," which would include higher salaries and more appreciation. At the same time, investment should be made in prevention and precaution. These investments would "pay off double and triple" in the future. Prevention must therefore become a "core piece" of the healthcare system, according to the state party chairman.

Health spokesperson Korosec also emphasized the importance of prevention and precaution from birth. Cooperation with kindergartens, but also schools, is important so that precaution can be continued throughout life. As the ÖVP, they want to "take action and help shape" to lead the healthcare system out of the "digital stone age" by promoting digitization projects. It is also "irresponsible if operating rooms are empty from 2:30 p.m. while patients wait in pain for months for a procedure." It is therefore necessary to use existing resources and equipment efficiently. Korosec sees the 24 existing primary care facilities as fundamentally positive, especially the eight in the child and youth sector. Nevertheless, further expansion is also necessary here.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.