Criticism of operating form

Liezen flagship hospital: uproar over inspection report

State Health Councillor Karlheinz Kornhäusl and SPÖ Club Chairman Hannes Schwarz at the ground-breaking ceremony (despite the lack of permits) in September.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Shortly before the provincial elections, the controversial issue of the Liezen lead hospital comes up again: The Court of Audit has presented an audit report. Both the governing parties and the critical opposition see this as confirmation. One thing is clear: the auditors have criticized the planned operating company.

The project control report on the "Stainach Clinic" - the official name of the planned new hospital in the Liezen district - was presented to the provincial parliament on Tuesday. It is confidential, i.e. not public. The information provided by the parties can therefore not be verified - the views on the report are in any case different.

ÖVP parliamentary group leader Barbara Riener and SPÖ health spokesperson Klaus Zenz speak of a "further important step towards the establishment of the Stainach Clinic". A special meeting of the Control Committee will now be requested quickly in order to take note of the report. The hospital company Kages can then continue with the project. 

According to the ÖVP and SPÖ, the provincial audit office has "confirmed both the need for a leading hospital in the district and the planned construction costs". However, there is criticism regarding the operating company, which will take over operational management once the hospital is completed: The private Diakoniewerk is supposed to be on board here, and there has even been talk of a 49 percent stake - but the construction costs (officially up to 340 million euros) are to be borne exclusively by the public sector. According to the government, the form of operation is to be reviewed again in the next legislative period.

Opposition calls for project to be halted
The opposition is fundamentally critical of the project. According to Green spokesperson Lambert Schönleitner, the construction costs are in line with the budget approved by the state parliament, but there will still be additional costs (for accompanying projects such as transport links and the subsequent use of the existing three hospitals in the district) amounting to tens of millions of euros. Schönleitner is calling for an immediate halt to the project.

FPÖ leader Mario Kunasek is of the same opinion. He emphasizes that official approvals for the clinic are still missing. Kunasek also mentions "imminent staffing problems and an incomplete breakdown of the total costs". 

The Neos are pushing for the inspection report to be published. "The people of Styria deserve 100 percent transparency," says Klubobobmann Niko Swatek.