The staff shortage in state-owned hospitals is getting worse. Tensions are rising among the workforce. Patients have to wait months for operations. By 2034, another 1,200 employees will reach retirement age.
When experienced nurses leave hospitals like the state hospital, it hurts the most. The Salzburg state clinics are losing the most nurses aged 40 to 50. These experienced employees often have to replace two new employees because they want to work part-time, says Thomas Gamsjäger. Together with Silvia Lechner, he has been running the Salzburg state clinics since January 1st. In addition to upcoming construction projects, the shortage of personnel is their biggest challenge. During the pandemic, many people ran out of steam. 200 positions are unfilled. The reasons for this were the pandemic, in which many people ran out of air. They therefore reduced their level of employment. The wave of retirements is making the situation worse. In the next ten years, 1,200 of the almost 6,000 employees will reach retirement age. So it will become even more difficult.Tensions are risingThe tensions are already noticeable in the workforce. The new managing directors agreed at a press conference yesterday that we must now look at the existing employees. ÖVP State Health Councilor Daniela Gutschi. promised more support for applicants: “We have to be more creative and also provide new employees with apartments,” said Gutschi. Specifically, she spoke of possible apartment purchases by the state in Flachgau and Lungau. “Acute care is secured” The new dual leadership assured that acute care was secured. Because of the staff shortage, Salzburg residents would still have to wait a long time for operations to be planned. New dual leadership for “big ship” They want to open a new chapter and attend all appointments together. Silvia Lechner and Thomas Gamsjäger pointed this out yesterday on the occasion of their inauguration as the new dual leadership of the state clinics (SALK). The Tyrolean most recently headed several rehabilitation centers in Austria as managing director. The Lower Austrian was the medical director of the St. Pölten University Hospital. As new managing directors, the most important thing to them is the employees, explained Gamsjäger. “We want to strengthen the sense of unity, find new employees for many areas and support the existing ones,” says Gamsjäger. 30 new nursing staff are expected from Colombia at Easter. Major project, new building for internal medicine III. In addition to the difficult search for personnel, there are major construction projects coming up, such as the new building for internal medicine III. The state clinics are like a big ship, said the responsible ÖVP state councilor Daniela Gutschi, explaining why two managing directors are necessary.
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