Operating theater reopened

Böhlerians operate again despite hospital chaos

Every minute, ambulances drive up to the Böhler hospital - and have to be sent away again, much to the chagrin of the doctors.

(Bild: Peter Tomschi)

Operations are now possible again at the Böhler Hospital in Vienna, but unresolved issues are making it difficult for doctors to work in the hospital, where there is not a single ward bed: as soon as the operating theater reopened, the problems that the Böhlerians had warned about from the outset became apparent.

After months, the operating theater at Böhler Hospital is busy again - very busy: in the first two hours alone after the hospital reopened as a day clinic, as many emergency admissions were recorded as there should have been during the entire first day of operating theater operations according to preliminary estimates. And as feared, the Böhlerians are left alone with the problems that come with a hospital that is only half-functioning.

What to do with patients who need inpatient care?
The Viennese emergency services, including those outside the professional rescue services, know what they have in the Böhler teams. From the very first minute of surgery operations at 8 a.m., they often choose the route to the familiar address. However, paramedics and drivers are barely able to assess the condition of patients and the necessary treatment. It is therefore with a heavy heart that the Böhler teams have to turn away those patients who need inpatient care - and send the ambulances in search of another hospital.

The operating theater is open again, but the wards will be missing for months to come.

(Bild: zVg)

The fact that the Meidling AUVA Hospital, the sister hospital of the Böhler Hospital, is sticking to its summer closure of the operating theater does not make things any easier. At least they would have "a fixed recipient" for patients who cannot be treated at Böhler Hospital, sighs Böhler surgeon Heinz Brenner in an interview with the "Krone". He and his team are doing everything they can. Around eight patients a day are now receiving help at the Böhler Hospital again, as the infrastructure in the improvised hospital operation can hardly cope with more.

"Dancing on the razor's edge"
Although the interim solution at the Böhler Hospital prevented the summer crisis in Vienna's accident care that the Böhlerians had warned of, the situation remains a "dance on the razor's edge" from Brenner's point of view with the numerous unresolved issues and patients that have to be sent around in circles. But at least some of the Böhler workforce has now come together again in the usual place. And the next meeting of the Board of Directors, AUVA's highest body, is scheduled for mid-July: the container hospital solution promised for early 2025 must then be cast in concrete form.

Billion-euro deal for the AKH
Meanwhile, the AKH rests on more secure pillars: the federal government and the city agreed on a new target agreement for the jointly operated university hospital. Vienna has committed to a financial contribution of 860 million euros by 2033, with the federal government contributing 810 million euros - a total of 1.67 billion euros. This will not only ensure patient care, but also further support MedUni Vienna as a research institution.

Over the next nine years, 600 million euros alone are to flow into the purchase of medical equipment. A "continuous increase in staff" is also promised. The federal government will pay for the entire medical staff, which is set to increase to 1,600 in the future. All other staff required to run the hospital - 3,600 nursing staff and 2,000 other employees - will be financed by the city.