After the doctors' protest

“Are we so irrelevant for patient care?”

Hundreds of doctors gathered in front of the provincial government, but the doors remained closed.(Bild: Evelyn Hronek)

After the protest march by doctors in Klagenfurt on Monday evening, the reactions seem to be coming thick and fast. Only those responsible in the provincial government remain silent. 

More than 350 doctors marched through the center of Klagenfurt on Monday evening under the motto "Silent walking" to draw attention to the dramatic situation of the Carinthian healthcare system (we reported). Permanent medical staff could hardly be retained and Carinthia was losing its competitiveness. "Local hospitals are also finding it increasingly difficult to attract a sufficient number of young doctors," says the Carinthian Medical Association.

Our demands have gone unheard for more than a year. We hope that the provincial government will soon come to its senses.

Petra Preiss, Kurienobfrau der angestellten Ärzte

For this reason, the "white coats" marched to the provincial government with numerous protest signs drawing attention to their displeasure. However, those present waited in vain for a response from the health officer Beate Prettner or Governor Peter Kaiser, as both were currently traveling.

No response from the state government
The doors to the government building therefore remained closed. "They don't even think it's worth the effort to send out a representative. Are we such an irrelevant group for patient care that they can afford to do this?" was the tenor of the doctors' comments.

And there was also criticism from politicians. "It is an affront par excellence that SP provincial councillor Prettner is running away from the doctors and not even sending a representative. With her ignorance of the medical profession, she is endangering the Carinthian healthcare system," says Harald Trettenbrein, FPÖ health spokesman and longstanding member of the Kabeg supervisory board.

Team Carinthia leader Gerhard Köfer demands: "The times of refusing to talk must come to an end, the government must take responsibility. With their huge attendance, the doctors have sent out a strong signal that something has to change!"