Protest in Lower Austria: Close three birth stations - anger of the citizens is growing!

Protest in Lower Austria: Close three birth stations - anger of the citizens is growing!

Hollabrunn, Österreich - In Lower Austria, the birth stations of three clinics are faced with closure. The locations in Hollabrunn, Klosterneuburg and Melk are affected. This decision was made on the basis of a decline in birth rates and an acute shortage of skilled workers. In 2024, only 358 births were registered in Hollabrunn, compared to 413 in 2017. The situation is similar in Klosterneuburg, where the birth rate fell from 662 in 2017 to 399 in 2024. Rainer Ernstberger, the medical director of the Hollabrunn State Clinic, added that the merging of smaller departments was necessary to ensure the quality of the supply. A total of around 105 employees are affected by these closures, whereby the relocation of obstetrics to other clinics is also planned.

The closure of the birth stations in Hollabrunn and Klosterneuburg will mean that the birth departments in Korneuburg and Tulln have to be more proven. The hospital in Melk will only be closed in 2028, whereby a relocation of personnel is scheduled at a later date. The employees concerned are not released, but are distributed to other locations. This was highlighted by Katja Steininger, the managing director of the Health Weinviertel, as a guarantee for the future securing of medical care in the Weinviertel. However, works councilor Michaela Mayr criticizes the short implementation time of just three months and demands more time for restructuring.

resistance and applications

Against the planned closures, there is a lot of resistance. In the affected cities of Melk and Hollabrunn, thousands of citizens have signed online petitions to revise the decision. In this context, patient lawyer Michael Prunbauer makes it clear that the concentration of medical services is targeting and high -quality care is striving for.

The decline in births in Lower Austria is a worrying trend. In recent years, the total number of births has dropped due to various factors, which has increased the pressure on health care significantly. According to current statistics, medical and socio -medical features in births are crucial for the chances of survival of newborns and their future health. These statutory detection obligations are determined in the Civil Council and the Midwifery Act, which underlines the relevance of the birth statistics. Indicators such as the caesarean section quota or the premature babies are also important components of this data and can be negatively influenced by ongoing closures in birth care.

Overall, the future of obstetrical care in Lower Austria faces major challenges, while at the same time the demand for a still high -quality health care is loud.