Healthcare crisis: close birth stations in Lower Austria!

Healthcare crisis: close birth stations in Lower Austria!

Niederösterreich, Österreich - Several birth stations in Lower Austria are faced with the closure in terms of both staff and expectant mothers. These drastic changes are part of a new health plan that was presented on March 24, 2025. The plan provides for a bundling of services, the creation of new structures and investments in modern health and care facilities. The birth station in the Hollabrunn State Clinic, which will close on July 1, 2025, is particularly affected. There were only 358 births here in 2024, while 413 births were still registered in 2017.

The closure affects around 20 employees whose locations are distributed to other clinics in the area. Nevertheless, obstetrics in Korneuburg-Stockerau are maintained. The birth station will also be closed in the Klosterneuburg State Clinic at the end of June 2025. Here the number of births fell from 662 in 2017 to 399 in 2024, which shows that the falling birth figures are a central topic.

effects and protests

In Klosterneuburg, around 30 employees are affected by the closure, and around 60% of the births are now coming from Vienna. The birth station in the State Clinic Melk will also be closed at the end of 2028 after the number of births fell from 755 in 2017 to 453 in 2024. In this case, about 55 employees will be affected.

The closures come across broad resistance among the population. In Hollabrunn and Melk, online petitions have already collected several thousand signatures to protest against the planned measures. However, the state health agency has emphasized that despite the closures, no dismissals are planned and the staff should be continued at other locations.

background for birth development

The declining births are not only a local phenomenon, but also reflect general trends that are influenced by various social and health factors. Data show that medical and socio -medical features of newborns are decisive for their health and have an impact on the chances of survival in the first months of life. This data is recorded in accordance with the Conductory Act and the Midwifery Act, which determine which characteristics should be reported at birth.

The institutions concerned are called up to provide alternative offers for pregnant women and families in order to meet the needs of the expectant parents and to ensure health care in the region. The health plan, which leads to closure, is part of a greater restructuring in healthcare in Lower Austria, which is to redistribute lost resources. Nevertheless, it remains uncertain how the population will react to these far -reaching changes.