New pilot project

From the position directly to the Kepler Clinic

The young people are examined before entering the army.

(Bild: Kerschbaummayr Werner)

If abnormalities are discovered during a check by the army, the young person is sent straight to the Kepler Clinic. This is intended to prevent long waiting times for an appointment with a specialist and ensure that the position is completed as planned. The project is unique in Austria.

There are two days in the lives of young people that they cannot avoid: the position. The young lads - and the girls who volunteer - are put through their paces. At the end of the posting, the conscripts are deemed "fit", "temporarily unfit" or "unfit" by the posting commission.

Overweight and psychological problems
The best result is a grade of nine; on average, the young people are given a five. "The basic condition of the young people does not make us happy. The most conspicuous issues are obesity and the increase in mental illnesses," said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP). Deputy Provincial Governor and Health Minister Christine Haberlander (ÖVP) is therefore delighted that the new pilot project in Upper Austria is "making a significant contribution to health prevention among young Upper Austrians".

8000 examinations per year
In future, those subject to compulsory military service will be sent to the Kepler Clinic in Linz immediately in the event of any abnormalities and will not have to wait weeks for an appointment with a specialist. The cooperation will initially focus on ophthalmology, ENT, urology and psychiatry. "We carry out 8,000 examinations per year, 7,000 of which are the first major examination. We expect up to 350 patients to be sent directly to the university hospital every year," says military commander Dieter Muhr. The project will be evaluated every three months by all those involved and will also serve as a model for other federal states.