Outpatient clinic in Bruck closed

Shoulder set is now only possible in Leoben

The LKH Bruck from the inside(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

As of today, Monday, the acute accident surgery outpatient clinic at Hochsteiermark Regional Hospital in Bruck an der Mur is history and has been relocated to Leoben. According to Kages, the improved care for seriously injured patients there means an additional burden for the Red Cross. 

Everything has been different at the Hochsteiermark LKH network since seven o'clock on Monday: the acute accident surgery outpatient clinic has moved from Bruck to Leoben. Months of resistance - most recently a demonstration on Saturday in which over 500 people took part - could not change the structural measure.

In Bruck, an "order outpatient clinic" for minor injuries - such as small cuts - is in operation on weekdays from 7 am to 3 pm. Everything that requires surgery, anesthesia or complex treatment comes to Leoben - from a dislocated shoulder to a serious injury after a car accident. According to hospital operator Kages, serious cases can be better treated in Leoben in future, as all surgical specialties are bundled there. They no longer have to be transported to Graz or Wiener Neustadt.

Siegfried Schrittwieser(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Longer journey times tie up the Red Cross
Chaos has not broken out in Bruck, as the "Krone" learned on Monday morning, but the situation is particularly challenging for the rescue service in the Bruck-Mürzzuschlag district. "We have huge problems," says RK President Siegfried Schrittwieser. The longer journey times mean that paramedics and ambulances are on the road for longer. This ties up (scarce) resources. "That's not possible with the current equipment." 

Schrittwieser is also concerned about the capacities in Leoben: "So far, the catchment area covers 60,000, 70,000 people. Then there are 100,000 from the Mürztal. That will be difficult." 

Voluntary night services are becoming more strenuous
Schrittwieser fears that it will be more difficult to fill night shifts with volunteers in the future, especially for smaller, remote locations such as Mariazell. "Due to the longer travel times, it will hardly be possible to sleep at night. At some point, someone who works will no longer be able to do that!" Full-time staff then have to make up for this - resulting in higher costs.

Over the next few weeks, they want to see how the situation develops.