© Europics
28. 06. 12. - 17:21
Doctor shortage warning in Burgenland
by Lisa Walzel
The medical association of Austria predicts a massive shortfall of doctors in Burgenland in coming years due to the restricted admissions for the medical university and the occasionally bad working conditions in Burgenland.
The president of the medical association, Michael Lang, said it was already hard to find doctors, and he predicted the situation will get worse.
He also claimed that by 2025 around 60 per cent of the doctors that are active right now will retire, meaning that surrogates have to be found. Additionally Mr Lang called for unrestricted admission to the medical university for Austrian students, and for a limited admission for students from the European Union.
Brigitte Steininger, the second vice president of the medical association, states that more emphasis should be put on the revision of the junior house officer positions and the quality of the education that is offered right now.
According to Lang, the administrative duties of doctors should be reduced so that they can devote themselves more to their real job - helping patients.
The introduction of the ELGA (electronic health record) will worsen the bureaucratic process, he warned. According to the medical association, the ELGA is not advantageous to the patients - and is a waste of the tax payers' money.
Lang said with so many other issues and problems in the health care system that have to be solved - the money should be spent on more useful improvements.
