Debate in Bruck

LKH outpatient clinic: doctors’ representatives in favor of “hard cut”

(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

The accident and emergency department at Bruck LKH will soon no longer be accepting acute patients. The SPÖ in particular is strongly criticizing this planned reform and is also planning protests. Doctors at the hospital, however, describe the move as necessary.

The tug-of-war over the future of the accident and emergency department at Bruck Regional Hospital is coming to a head. As reported, the SPÖ (Social Democratic Party of Austria), in particular, is mounting an increasingly strong defense against the plan to stop treating acute cases here from 13 January. The local mayors have even announced protest actions. 

At the forefront of the criticism are Hannes Schwarz, head of the provincial parliamentary group, and Stefan Hofer, mayor of Turnau. The latter described the "planned closure of the acute accident surgery clinic" as a red line or "an absolute no-go and completely unacceptable. Rather, the question should be asked as to why so many KAGes employees are resigning." As the head of the local Red Cross station, he also warned of a massive additional burden on the emergency services as a result of the planned measure.

However, Schwarz and Hofer are said to have known about the plans for some time. For example, they were discussed at a meeting with Karlheinz Kornhäusl (ÖVP), State Councillor for Health, at the beginning of November, emphasize Erich Schaflinger, Medical Director of the LKH Hochsteiermark, and Uwe Spitzer, hospital doctors' representative there. Both were also present at this meeting. Hofer denies to the "Krone" that the ambulance changes were a topic at this meeting.

Only minor injuries are still being treated
Despite the storm of protest, Schaflinger and Spitzer are sticking to their position: the changes are necessary in order to do justice to the increasing specialization of medicine and thus optimal healthcare. According to Spitzer, who also works as an emergency doctor, since the beginning of the reform and the creation of a surgical and conservative site in the network, seriously injured patients have mostly been brought to Graz.

This should change again in the near future as a result of the structural reform; in future, these patients should be able to be treated in the region (LKH Leoben). This would also be attractive for young doctors. "This requires a hard cut," says Spitzer. For Bruck, this means: an outpatient clinic for check-ups and simultaneous treatment of minor injuries (Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.).