In the matter of the “Current Hour” on Thursday of the Vorarlberg Landtag, all five parties were in agreement: There is an acute shortage of staff in hospitals and old people’s homes. More attractive working conditions, fair wages and better training opportunities are in demand.
Elke Zimmermann is a nurse and likes her job. “I would take it again at any time. You get a lot in return from grateful patients. ”The 48-year-old has been a member of the state parliament for the SPÖ since 2019. In the “Current Hour” she reported on everyday life in the hospitals, of experienced doctors and nurses who tearfully tell of the lost battle for a corona patient, of corona deniers who attack hospitals. Of course, none of this has contributed to making the job more attractive. It is not just Corona to blame. And yet: “The corona crisis is not the main reason for the misery,” says the Social Democrat. A study from 2017 would have shown how the age structure of the population is changing and that the need for staff is increasing. “Nothing happened. The personnel key for hospital beds is below the Austrian average. The austerity in care is paying off, ”said Zimmermann. Hubert Kinz (FPÖ) and Johannes Gasser (NEOS) also joined in. The latter pointed out that 182 people from Vorarlberg are waiting for a care place in a home, but 95 empty beds could not be occupied due to a lack of staff. Investments were also made. “It is simply not true that savings have been made. In 2014, 99 million euros were invested in long-term care, and we are now at 189 million euros, ”she calculated. The personnel key for long-term care is one of the best, and home help is increasingly being used. Health Councilor Martina Rüscher wants, among other things, to focus more on the training of young nurses. She referred to the continuous expansion of the “somewhat complex” offer that will be coordinated by the State Medical Directorate in the future.
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