Strike committee of the Ottakring clinic calls on Viennese to show solidarity

2023-06-23 10:26:24

Annual report of the patient advocacy objectifies fears of patient endangerment – WiGev “fact check” ignores demands

Vienna (OTS) – “We call on all Viennese to show solidarity with the warning strike at the central emergency room of the Ottakring Clinic,” announced the spokespersons of the strike committee, Aglaia Kotal and Severin Ehrengruber today, Friday. “It’s not just about our working conditions. If the current annual report from the patient advocacy has shown one thing, it is that a lack of staff in the hospital is putting human life at risk,” Aglaia Kotal is convinced. The patient advocacy report objectifies the fears of the medical staff in the central emergency room at the Ottakring Clinic.

In order to be able to continue or fully fulfill their duty of care for the Viennese population, the doctors at the Central Emergency Room (ZNA) therefore demand:

At least 20 percent more medical staff for the department A significant increase in the ZNA allowance to adequately compensate for the mentally and physically demanding work in an emergency room A fair distribution of rescue access roads to all emergency rooms in Vienna, adapted to the number of staff and the actual bed capacities A contemporary equipment with critical infrastructure , such as the trauma room conversion

WiGev “fact check” ignores demands

The so-called “fact check” published by the Vienna Health Association (WiGev) ignores these demands.

“Obviously the demands were not read carefully. We are calling for the number of posts to be increased to 40. There is also an urgent need to increase the number of nursing posts, as these are currently set far too low. The demanded increase in the allowance in order to be attractive for new staff is not addressed at all,” Ehrengruber is surprised.

“I would be interested in the name of the bedding manager. If this person exists, I have not heard anything from them in my daily work. We are also pleased that in the course of the strike announcement we received a decommissioned ultrasound loaner and an additional one without a battery. Unfortunately, for obvious reasons, both are not practical for use in the emergency room,” Kotal comments on the “fact check”.

In principle, it is welcome that an attempt is now being made to respond to the demands, at least in the media, by means of a “fact check”. There were also ongoing discussions with the head of the department and the medical director of the clinic. “The only ones who don’t talk to us are the General Directorate of WiGev and the City of Vienna, to whom our demands are actually directed. In this respect, it is at least strange that they in particular are now appealing to our willingness to talk,” says Ehrengruber.

The strike committee does not understand the refusal of the rescue ban for the duration of the warning strike by the General Directorate of the WiGev and the City of Vienna. “Obviously the political leaders want to do everything to prevent this strike – except to respond to our demands. A willingness to talk about this would be the most urgent necessity in terms of the best care for the Viennese population. We are still hoping for a written offer from the General Directorate of the WiGev or the City of Vienna. If this does not happen, we would like to invite the whole of Vienna to join us on June 30th at 10 a.m. in front of the Ottakring Clinic to send a loud signal against the health emergency in the Viennese hospitals,” said Kotal and Ehrengruber in unison.