Paramedics annoyed

“The Red Cross is not a free cab company!”

Carinthia's rescue organizations are increasingly being used as cabs; at the expense of time and resources.(Bild: Uta Rojsek-Wiedergut)

Carinthia's paramedics are sounding the alarm: the courageous emergency services are increasingly being used as free hospital cabs, which is why "real" patients often have to wait. The shortage of doctors also plays a role. 

"I often have the feeling that I'm a private chauffeur and not a paramedic," a Red Cross volunteer told the Krone. "When you pick up an elderly patient to take him to an examination, even though his adult children are parked in front of the house in their cars, you think you're doing your bit." The President of the Carinthian Red Cross, Martin Pirz, is aware of this problem.

"80 to 85 percent of our daily missions involve transporting sick people and patients. These are among our main tasks - and we are always very happy to do them. But missions that are not actually necessary don't 'only' take up the energy of our courageous paramedics, but also time and resources. This can be particularly problematic in night shift operations with fewer vehicles and emergency personnel. At the end of the day, we are also on a rescue mission and have to respond to emergencies."

If patients have no other option, we are very happy to be on duty for them around the clock. But we also have to raise awareness that we are not a cab service.

Kärntens Rotkreuz-Präsident Martin Pirz

Bild: reneknabl.com

Another paramedic tells the "Krone" that there are also patients who call the emergency number because they want to save themselves the trip to the doctor. Pirz is also familiar with such cases. However, he points out: "Such cases are mainly due to the shortage of GPs in rural areas." Just recently, two cheeky teenagers caused particular annoyance among the emergency services. The two had called the emergency services because one of them was allegedly extremely unwell - as they reported to the control center by telephone.

"Deliberate abuse can have consequences"
When they finally arrived at the hospital in Klagenfurt, 20 kilometers away, the boys cheekily thanked us for the transport and walked out of the ambulance in good spirits and in perfect health. "Such deliberate misuse of our rescue service is fortunately an absolutely exceptional case. And everyone must be aware that this can also have consequences," warns the Red Cross President.