After "Krone" report

Quick solution after surgery fiasco due to staff shortage

The appointment at Vienna's Herz-Jesu-Krankenhaus for an operation that has been eagerly awaited for months, which was postponed at short notice due to a lack of staff, will be rescheduled next week. 

The "Krone" report on the short-notice cancellation of an operation for Helmut L. (70) from the district of Baden, which had been scheduled for months, has been the subject of much discussion. The pensioner was due to have an operation on his aching left shoulder at the Herz-Jesu Hospital in Vienna, but was put off indefinitely four days beforehand. The hospital cited a shortage of nursing staff as the reason for this, which meant that an operating theater had to be closed. However, not even his doctor had heard about the cancellation in advance - she was informed by L.

After initially being threatened with a month-long wait, things are now moving faster. "I got the call that someone had dropped out and that I would be seen on Wednesday," says the 70-year-old with relief.

"E-card instead of credit card"
The SPÖ was also told several times during its health tour of the country that many people had experienced similar problems. Member of Parliament Rene Pfister is therefore calling for transparency in waiting lists for surgery appointments: "Private patients have a clear advantage here." According to Pfister, long waiting times can be significantly shortened by taking out supplementary insurance or going through a private practice. "It should be enough to show your e-card instead of your credit card to get the operation you need as quickly as possible," demands Pfister.