Future of the healthcare system in Liezen: a new lead hospital in focus

Future of the healthcare system in Liezen: a new lead hospital in focus

In Styria, a planned conversion of the health structure ensures heated discussions. The focus of the debate is the project of a new lead hospital in Stainach-Pürgg, which is to be built with 228 beds and outpatient clauses by 2028. The background to this decision is the planned decommissioning of three existing hospitals in Rottenmann, Bad Aussee and Schladming. The state government emphasizes that such drastic changes are necessary to maintain and improve medical care in the long term.

The managing director of the Styria Health Fund, Michael Koren, explains that the construction of the new clinic should “hold” with a cost framework of 334 million euros. The idea of bundle all medical care services at a central location is the focus. "We have to concentrate the services in order to continue to ensure high -quality medical care in the future," said Koren. Real lack of personnel in the industry is given as one of the main reasons for this decision.

The resistance of residents and citizens' initiatives

The planned changes also cause massive resistance. The BISS Citizens' Initiative has been fighting the closures for years and is committed to maintaining the existing hospitals. Helmut Gassner, the initiative of this initiative, argues that the area -like size of the district of Liezen comprises over 80,000 inhabitants and more than 1,400 square kilometers. "How can you plan a hospital?" Asks Gassner in an interview. Centralization at the moment would worsen the health care of the population considerably, since only 56 percent of citizens could get to a hospital within 30 minutes if only one exists.

Gassner confirms that improving the medical infrastructure does not depend on the number of locations. The citizens' initiative also claims concerns about the costs. Gassner doubts the estimate of 334 million euros and states that it would be much cheaper to make the existing facilities fit. "The lead hospital could easily cost over 500 million euros," warns Gassner.

The situation is also complicated by surveys that show that 45 percent of the population are skeptical about the plans of the government. At the last folk survey in 2019, a clear majority spoke out against the motto hospital. In view of the upcoming state elections, the topic could become a decisive point, as political scientist Katrin Protnik noted from the University of Graz.

The state government, on the other hand, sticks to its position. It speaks of an inevitable need for modernizations and an improvement in the quality of care. "We are convinced that we have to go this way to ensure medical care in the region in the long term," said Koren. It is a clear indication that the decision -makers do not want to be dissuaded by the protests.

The discussion about health care in Liezen therefore remains a central and emotional topic that may also affect the election decision. The further course of the debate, especially after the state elections, is eagerly awaited, since the citizens' initiative and the state government represent different views of the health strategy in the future