Increase of 5.7 percent

More and more patients in Vienna’s hospitals

In 2024, over 13,100 babies were born in WIGEV clinics.(Bild: Louis-Photo - stock.adobe.com)

The Vienna Healthcare Association is recording significantly more inpatient admissions to municipal hospitals, particularly in acute care. Every 2.5 minutes a clinic is called by an ambulance.

Three out of four hospital treatments take place in Vienna Healthcare Association clinics. In 2024, 5.2 million outpatient contacts and more than 243,600 inpatients were recorded - another very significant increase in patient frequency and an increase of 5.7 percent compared to 2023. On Thursday, the Vienna Healthcare Association presented its balance sheet for the previous year. 140,466 operations were performed, 44 percent of which were acute. This means that the intervention was necessary within two days.

Over 209,400 operations were carried out by Vienna's rescue organizations. On average, a patient was received for medical and nursing care every 2.5 minutes. During the day it is 90 percent, at night even 96 percent of all rescue calls in Vienna. One reason for the significant increase is that Vienna is growing.

Michael Binder, Medical Director, Evelyn Kölldorfer-Leitgeb, WIGEV General Director and Herwig Wetzlinger, Deputy General Director (from left to right)(Bild: Eva Manhart)

On average, there are 36 births per day - 8.1 percent more than in 2023. Multiple births require special skills. 292 twins, triplets & co. were born. In addition, certain diseases are currently on the rise because "during the pandemic, patient contact with medicine has been restricted", says Head of Medicine Michael Binder. This is an international phenomenon.

3.3 billion euros to renovate hospitals
In order to modernize the clinics and nursing homes by 2030, the hospital association is investing 3.3 billion euros; according to Deputy General Director Herwig Wetzlinger, 30 projects are to be completed for the AKH alone. In order not to impair operations during the conversion period, timber constructions are also being used, for example at the AKH.

Criticism of the figures presented comes from the Freedom Party. "For four years, between 750 and 850 hospital beds in Vienna have not been occupied due to a lack of nursing staff - that corresponds to the capacity of the entire Floridsdorf clinic," says local councillor Wolfgang Seidl (FPÖ).