Healthcare

Two additional MR machines shorten waiting times

Instead of the current five, there will be seven MRI machines throughout Burgenland from next year.(Bild: Gesundheit Burgenland)

Instead of 20 days, patients in Burgenland recently waited up to nine weeks for an MRI appointment. This is set to change from 2025. Two additional devices will make up to 15,000 additional examinations possible in Burgenland.

The legally stipulated waiting time for an appointment for an MRI scan on a "sick bill" should be a maximum of 20 working days. In Burgenland, patients recently had to wait up to nine weeks for an appointment at one of the five locations - one institute in the district of Neusiedl am See, one each at the Barmherzige Brüder Eisenstadt hospital and the Oberwart, Güssing and Kittsee clinics.

Huge increase in the number of MR examinations
The reason for the long waiting times is the increasing demand, as around 14,000 MRI examinations were carried out in 2020 and the number rose to 17,000 in the previous year. Efforts from Burgenland to acquire additional equipment to minimize waiting times have recently been unsuccessful. However, there is now some good news.

Additional devices for Oberpullendorf and Eisenstadt
If everything goes according to plan, Burgenland will receive two new MRI machines by 2025 - one at the Oberpullendorf clinic and another at the Barmherzige Brüder Eisenstadt hospital. "This will strengthen regional care immensely and finally close the gap in MRI examination options in central Burgenland," says Franz Öller, Commercial Director of Gesundheit Burgenland.

The waiting times were too long. Getting an appointment quickly should not depend on whether someone can pay for the examination privately or not.

Landeshauptmann Hans Peter Doskozil

LH Doskozil: Measure against two-tier medicine
Governor Hans Peter Doskozil is also pleased that arguments from Burgenland are being heard: "The waiting times were too long. Getting an appointment quickly should not depend on whether someone can pay for the examination privately or not. The new devices will significantly reduce waiting times, strengthen public healthcare close to home and, above all, combat two-tier medicine," said Doskozil. The new devices should make up to 15,000 additional examinations possible.