Severely ill and alone: ​​Me/CFS patients in Vorarlberg demand help!

Severely ill and alone: ​​Me/CFS patients in Vorarlberg demand help!

Vorarlberg, Österreich - in Vorarlberg, ME/CFS affected are desperately fighting for adequate medical care. The 48-year-old Bettina Todorovic describes her agony, which were triggered by a Corona infection: "As if I was caught in a cage." Despite the enormous disease burden, which brings myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), there is a lack of specialized contact points. "We just feel abandoned," says Todorovic in an interview with Vol.at. More and more affected people are urgently calling for their own care, while State Councilor Martina Rüscher has already granted that the existing care is not sufficient. Many sick people go through a “medical marathon” without obtaining the necessary diagnosis or support, which also exacerbates their situation.

upgrading the school health in Vorarlberg

parallel to the challenges of the ME/CFS patients, school health in Vorarlberg is fundamentally reformed. On the initiative of the country and the municipal association, the new pilot project with "School Nurses" will be implemented at eight Vorarlberg compulsory schools at eight Vorarlberg compulsory schools. These should act as a low -threshold contact point for medical questions in order to improve the health care of the students, as State Councilor Rüscher said in November. The goal is to recognize the children's health problems at an early stage and to react adequately to it.

The introduction of school health forces is considered an important step to promote the health literacy of children and adolescents. This includes not only the physical examination, but also the treatment of mental issues as well as nutrition and media consumption. While the structure of school health is reorganized, the situation for ME/CFS patients falls by the wayside. Beate Schuchter, another affected person, demands that similar to school health, also comprehensive care is created for sick adults. "It is a delay on the back of seriously ill people," she criticizes the inactivity of those responsible in the areas of medical care and social security.

The problems of the ME/CFS affected are serious. Due to a lack of diagnosis and treatment as well as the lack of contact points, she clearly sees responsibility among the health authorities. Your demand for an outpatient clinic in Vorarlberg has so far remained outrageous, while in other federal states you have already taken targeted measures to improve care. "The money is there, there are no more excuses!" Emphasizes Schuchter. The persistent ignorance of the ME/CFS problem reflects a worrying reality: "Every day is lost lifetime for those affected with pain."

The challenges that affect both ME/CFS patients and the students in Vorarlberg illustrate the urgent need for intertwined solutions in the health sector that focus on all citizens.