2023-10-29 12:21:04
Ombudsman’s Office: Case of a young Upper Austrian woman clearly shows the government’s failure
Vienna (OTS) – Eva-Maria Holzleitner, member of the National Council and women’s chairwoman of the SPÖ, as well as member of the National Council Rudolf Silvan, he is a member of the Health Committee of the National Council and SPÖ Ombudsman spokesman, agreed following a question answered by the Health Minister: “Although there are countless people affected, the government has “Slept in improving the situation of Long Covid and ME/CFS people!” And this despite the fact that in April all parties spoke out in favor of improving the situation of ME/CFS patients through a joint motion in parliament.
Although a symposium is scheduled to take place in November that will primarily focus on the symptoms of Long Covid and ME/CFS, a symposium alone is not a satisfactory solution for those affected. After the all-party motion in parliament, they expected and deserved real solutions. But anyone who reads between the lines in the response to the query knows that apart from a few nice words, not much has happened, says Silvan.
In total, around 100,000 people have been diagnosed with Long Covid in Austria since the outbreak of Covid. However, the number of unreported cases is likely to be much higher. Only a little more than 10,000 cases were recognized as occupational diseases. Many of them also struggle with typical ME/CFS symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, difficulty finding words, memory impairment, loss of the ability to multitask and “brain fog”. Sick people use this to describe the feeling that their brain seems foggy and they can hardly think clearly. Silvan: “The government’s handling of such a large group of those affected is simply negligent!”
For help, a young Upper Austrian woman turned to SPÖ Ombudsman spokesman Abg. to National Councilor Rudolf Silvan, who is also a member of the National Council’s Health Committee. Or rather, the mother of the Long Covid patient called the MP for help because her daughter can no longer make it. In addition to a severe Long-Covid illness that was probably work-related and brought symptoms such as extreme exhaustion, muscle weakness, insomnia and the like, there was also the shock diagnosis of cancer. Silvan: “The case of the social advisor clearly shows the government’s failure!”
After a year of incapacity to work due to Long-Covid, the state of Upper Austria terminated her employment, but the woman is still being treated by a social security assessor – despite an additional cancer diagnosis! – still classified as fit for work. In addition to the termination, the woman will not be paid for the extra hours by the state of Upper Austria. The Ombudsman is now checking here. Silvan: “Countless ME/CFS and Long-Covid patients in Austria are like the young social worker. The government is deliberately sidelining them and thereby endangering their financial security. In addition, many experts do not know enough regarding the clinical pictures.”
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