Waiting times for operations in Upper Austria go beyond all limits!

Waiting times for operations in Upper Austria go beyond all limits!

In Upper Austria, patients who need an operation have to expect enormous waiting times. A current analysis by the Chamber of Labor shows alarming figures: At the Kepler University Hospital in Linz, the waiting time for varicose vein surgery is up to 90 weeks, while patients who need hip surgery have to wait up to 60 weeks at the Ordensklinikum Linz. The situation is even more worrying for knee replacements, where waiting times of 73 weeks have been measured. Even children who are waiting for a tonsillectomy are affected and have to be patient for around 55 weeks at the Wels-Grieskirchen Clinic today.at reported.

Urgent need for action required

“Waiting times have increased again this year, which is severely affecting the health of employees,” explained AK President Stangl. He pointed out the need to urgently reduce waiting times in Upper Austrian hospitals, as they have increased in almost all hospitals and for numerous operations compared to the previous year. Stangl also called for better staffing structures and duty rosters to avoid the closure of operating rooms.

Another critical point is the massive difference in waiting times between patients with and without additional private insurance. Patients at the Pyhrn-Eisenwurzen Clinic who are insured have a waiting time of just 15 weeks for a hip prosthesis, while patients without additional insurance have to wait up to 28 weeks. This discrepancy shows how important private insurance has become in today's world in order to receive faster medical treatment ordensklinikum.at also confirmed.