Vienna's Lorenz Böhler Hospital

Strike plan after hospital closure: Hundreds of operating theaters wobble

The Brigittenau Trauma Center, formerly the Lorenz Böhler Hospital

(Bild: Martin A. Jöchl)

The staff at the Brigittenau trauma center, still better known as the "Lorenz Böhler" hospital, are declaring war on the abrupt closure of the hospital. The staff are making serious accusations against the operator. Restructuring proposals that could have saved the hospital were ignored.

Not only the population, but also the staff of the AUVA Trauma Center Brigittenau - the Lorenz Böhler Trauma Hospital until 2018 - were caught off guard by the closure plans announced on Wednesday evening. A spontaneous staff meeting was held at the hospital on Thursday morning. The mood was "really bad", according to the works council. The staff want to go on strike and get the blessing of the ÖGB.

Hundreds of shaky operating theaters just a foretaste of things to come
The industrial action would result in 700 to 1000 planned operations being canceled, not including emergency patients. It would be a foretaste of the General Accident Insurance Institution's plans to divide the 65,000 annual patients from Brigittenau between the AUVA hospital in Meidling and the General Hospital. The works meeting on Thursday already resulted in long waiting times for patients and the hospital was closed to emergency access.

At the spontaneous works meeting, the staff expressed their willingness to go on strike.

(Bild: zVg)

Serious accusations against hospital management
The staff made serious accusations against the hospital management and the AUVA management: since last summer, they had been aware of the dramatic shortcomings in fire protection and had ignored the staff's suggestions for renovation during ongoing operations. Even now, the building inspectorate has given the hospital a window of opportunity until mid-March to offer renovation proposals without having to close the hospital.

Even the staff do not yet know when the wards are to close. An information event by the hospital management will take place at a later date.