Healthcare debate

Looking for effective prescriptions against the shortage of doctors

(Bild: APA/Helmut Fohringer (Symbol))

After the silent end of the rural doctor guarantee and before the postponed start of the so-called doctor pool: How can medical care recover?

Everything should get better: Back on January 10, the provincial government hosted a health summit. A "reflection process" was launched and a structural reform of the provincial hospitals was announced.

Silvia Moser, health spokesperson for the Greens, commented: "I hope that this will actually be a forward-looking overall reform and not just another series of individual measures such as the closure of the gynecology clinics in Waidhofen an der Thaya and Waidhofen an der Ybbs and the neurology clinic in Mauer." She demands "proper healthcare planning" from the provincial government. There is time for this - 15 months have been set aside for the "reflection process".

Moser: "Proper healthcare planning is important!"

(Bild: CHRISTIAN DUSEK)

The provincial government has only limited influence in the private practice sector - including traditional rural doctors. Nevertheless, Moser has a suggestion for quickly alleviating the situation: "What is needed here above all is a reorganization of the health insurance contracts and definitely a simplification of the billing modes." According to Moser, the promotion of primary care units, group practices for unoccupied practices and employment contracts for doctors, including part-time contracts, could help.