Was waiting for the operation? Patients fight against the health misery!

Was waiting for the operation? Patients fight against the health misery!

A self-employed person from Götzendorf, Michael König, faces an existential crisis after having to wait for an operation because of an inguinal hernia. According to krone.at he threatens a four -month downtime, since the operation can only take place in mid -April. King's description is alarming: after initial symptoms followed extreme pain that led him to several visits to the doctor. Despite long-damaged contributions to the social system, he is faced with the shock message that it is hardly able to survive as a one-man operation. After all, König was able to secure an earlier appointment in Horn.

waiting times in the Austrian health system

The Situation of König exemplifies for serious problems in the Austrian health system. A survey by the Institute for Higher Studies illuminates the sometimes extremely different waiting times for predictable operations, reports Migor.at . While patients in Hainburg are waiting for a hip surgery for only six weeks, those in Scheibbs have to be patient for up to 46 weeks. This uncertainty and lack of transparency about waiting lists means that many affected people are not even informed about the actual waiting times.

The different waiting times within a federal state, according to the study, are a major problem: social security only takes on patient transport until the nearest hospital, which often forces patients to grab with long waiting times. Experts therefore call for a fundamental reform to create clarity about offers and waiting lists and to avoid illegal payments. Thomas Czypionka, head of study, emphasizes that despite certain progress in transparency, there is still a lot to do.