New rescue service

“In an emergency, every minute counts”

(Bild: LMS)

The rescue services in Burgenland are being reorganized. The deployment of emergency paramedics ensures higher quality - as an incident report from this year shows.

"There's something wrong with his dad" - when Ernst Wild heard these words from his niece in February, he knew that everything had to happen very quickly. His brother Josef (63), who had been fine shortly before, was suddenly unresponsive. Ernst, himself a retired ambulance driver, immediately called the emergency services.

Within a very short time, a rescue team from the Weppersdorf base arrived with two emergency paramedics from the Samariterbund Burgenland. Everything pointed to a stroke. Emergency paramedic Michael Farkas stabilized the patient so that he could be transported to the hospital in Eisenstadt for further treatment. "Paramedics undergo comprehensive, advanced training for these emergency skills, which can be life-saving," says Farkas.

Ultimately, the time factor was the decisive factor, Ernst Wild is also convinced: "If you still have to call an emergency doctor, valuable time is lost. That's why at least one paramedic should always be on board," says the former ambulance driver.

More emergency paramedics
Until now, this was not the case for every ambulance. This often life-critical necessity has been taken into account with the reorganization of the rescue service: in an initial expansion, the staffing of the 15 ambulances has already been improved by the deployment of four highly qualified emergency paramedics. This is just the beginning: over the next few years, all 15 ambulances are to be manned around the clock by at least one emergency paramedic. This will not only improve care, but also relieve the burden on emergency doctors on busy days. "Such emergencies will unfortunately always happen, which is why comprehensive emergency care in all parts of our country is all the more important," explains Governor Hans Peter Doskozil. The new rescue law passed this year makes this possible. The increase in the rescue contribution, which is borne equally by the state and municipalities, will enable the emergency organizations to act more effectively.

An offensive in the training of emergency paramedics is therefore also important. This is also the view of the emergency organizations. "This is our top priority," say Samariterbund Managing Director Gerald Fitz and Thomas Wallner, Regional Managing Director of the Red Cross, in unison.