© Europics
09. 07. 12. - 15:03
AKH to sell off George Michael Tickets
The majority of the tickets donated by George Michael to staff at Vienna's AKH who he credits for saving his life are to be sold off on the free market after a row broke out amongst hospital staff over who should get the tickets.
As no decision could be made which everyone was happy with now over 700 of the 1000 tickets for the concert due to take place on September 4th will be sold with the profit going to fund a scholarship for research into lung failure.
A spokesperson for the AKH said: "We are very thankful for George Michael's generous gesture. We have decided that a number of the tickets will go to staff - the doctors and nurses, carers, health care assistants, cleaning staff, security."
The rest of the tickets will be sold off with proceeds going for a scholarship for research into lung failure in the inner medicine department.
"The money will be used for research which should be of benefit to the patients who in the future have similar conditions to George Michael.
George Michael had donated the tickets as a thank you after doctors at the hospital saved his life when he came down with severe pneumonia whilst on tour in Vienna last year.
Doctors and nurses at the AKH hospital had previously claimed management and bureaucrats had grabbed the lion's share of the tickets, leaving those who did the real work short changed.
One doctor personally involved in George's treatment told Austrian newspaper Österreich: "I was one of the doctors who worked in intensive care and was personally involved in the care of George Michael. But we have been allocated far too few tickets. There are not enough for staff never mind the fact we would like to take take partners with us."
The doctor said others including professors have been taking the majority of the tickets and that the rest were being sold off, even thought there were enough staff who would like to go to the concert.
