No beds free

Hospital drama surrounding Styrian woman: Was the operation performed on time?

An acute patient had to wait hours for her operation, four hospitals refused to admit her.

(Bild: MedicalWorks - stock.adobe.com)

There was no capacity at Hochsteiermark Regional Hospital for a 76-year-old patient with an acute vascular occlusion. The staff accuse Kages, the Styrian hospital operator, of mismanagement - the latter rejects the accusations. 

A 76-year-old woman was admitted to Bruck Regional Hospital, which forms the Hochsteiermark network with Mürzzuschlag and Leoben, with abdominal complaints at 2.30 p.m. on Thursday. According to the staff, the diagnosis was made at 4.20 p.m.: acute vascular occlusion of the intestinal vessel. A patient with such a diagnosis must be operated on as soon as possible to prevent the bowel from dying and to avoid further complications.