Transfer to Leoben

Hundreds demonstrate for the Bruck ambulance

Around 500 participants demonstrated against the closure of the trauma surgery outpatient clinic at Bruck Regional Hospital on Saturday morning.

(Bild: Scheriau Erwin)

The mayor of Bruck, Andrea Winkelmeier from the SPÖ party, called for a demonstration, which was followed by 500 people from Bruck and the Mürztal on Saturday morning. They demanded the preservation of the ortho-trauma outpatient clinic in Bruck, which will be relocated to Leoben on Monday.

It has been the hot topic in the district in recent weeks: the acute trauma surgery outpatient clinic at Bruck Regional Hospital cannot be maintained, which is why it will be relocated to Leoben from 13 January. According to Erich Schaflinger, Medical Director of Hochsteiermark LKH, the reason behind this structural measure is a shortage of doctors. An "order outpatient clinic" will remain in Bruck for minor injuries and check-ups, on weekdays between 7 am and 3 pm.

Two days before things get serious, the mayor of Bruck, Andrea Winkelmeier (SPÖ), and her colleagues from Kapfenberg (Matthäus Bachernegg), Turnau (Stefan Hofer) and St. Barbara (Jochen Jance) called for a demonstration. Around 500 people gathered on Minoritenplatz at ten o'clock, including SPÖ Styria party leader Max Lercher, Red Cross President Siegfried Schrittwieser and Member of the National Council Jörg Leichtfried. Couldn't the SPÖ have done something about the closure, given that it was part of the provincial government for years? "This is outrage and not party calculation," said Leichtfried on the sidelines of the demonstration. 

The SPÖ led the demonstration: Silke Reitbauer-Rieger (Deputy Mayor of Bruck), National Councillor Wolfgang Moitzi, Jochen Jance (Mayor of St. Barbara), Stefan Hofer (Turnau), Andrea Winkelmeier (Bruck), SPÖ Styria leader Max Lercher, Member of Parliament Jörg Leichtfried, State Executive Director Florian Seifter. Some KPÖ supporters also joined the crowd.

(Bild: Scheriau Erwin)

Demo despite clarifying conversation
Although Winkelmeier met in advance with Karlheinz Kornhäusl (ÖVP), State Councillor for Health, and Gerhard Stark, CEO of Kages, the dissatisfaction remains: "There we only learned that the outpatient clinic in Bruck will remain open until 3 pm. But that's not enough. We need 24 hours." Another point of criticism: cooperation. "There is no planning certainty for employees as to where they have to work. We were promised more discussions." 

Andrea Winkelmeier

(Bild: Sepp Pail)

Turnau's mayor Hofer did not take part in the meeting - for "scheduling reasons", as he says. "Drinking coffee with the provincial councillor is good, but I don't have the faith. In future, we will closely monitor in parliament whether the Provincial Councillor keeps his promises." The short journey time between Bruck and Leoben is not an argument for Hofer. "The district consists not only of the town of Bruck, but also of many side valleys and 100,000 inhabitants. The closure is a huge burden for them."

"This is simply not acceptable"
With whistles and banners ("Hands off our health"), the demonstrators marched from Minoritenplatz through Mittergasse to Bruck's main square. Gerhard and Birgitta Halling, who live very close to the LKH Bruck, were also there. "We're not getting any younger. If you can no longer get acute treatment in hospital or have to wait forever for an ambulance because the resources are tied up - that's simply not acceptable," says the couple.

Gerhard and Birgitta Halling from Bruck went to the demonstration

(Bild: Scheriau Erwin)

"An acquaintance of ours broke his femoral neck on Friday afternoon. What is he supposed to do when the ambulance closes at 3 pm?" With pain, the journey to Leoben is also long.

This measure makes it possible for the first time to provide accident surgery for patients from Upper Styria with serious injuries. After serious ski or car accidents, patients do not have to be taken to Graz or Wiener Neustadt as was previously the case.

Erich Schaflinger, ärztlicher Direktor des LKH Hochsteiermark

Bild: Fotostudio Peter Wagner

Kages: "Pioneering step"
Hospital operator Kages issued a statement the day before the demonstration: "This decision is part of a long-term plan to concentrate surgical capacities in Leoben and create an efficient trauma center for the Mur and Mürztal valleys." Care is guaranteed there because other specialist areas are also on site. 

The Head of the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Gerhard Bratschitsch, speaks of a "groundbreaking step towards optimizing care for our patients".