The Vienna Medical Association cannot calm down. After a board meeting escalated last week, the doctors are now insulting each other on Facebook – including threats. Meanwhile, President Johannes Steinhart is confronted with calls for his resignation from the entire executive committee.
The months-long disputes surrounding the “Equip4Ordi” scandal even culminated in fistfights at the Curia meeting on Friday evening and further complaints to the responsible municipal department 40 – social, social and health law. “Bodycheck” mandatary threatens to “go ahead” with one that will take place on Tuesday evening In any case, the board meeting wanted to be held in a civilized manner, explained Vice President Stefan Ferenci in advance. A new board member was elected at the meeting, which did not comply with the rules of procedure. If this person is present, the entire meeting is in danger of being canceled by MA 40. Finance officer Frederic Tömböl reported security concerns. The mandatary responsible for the “body check” was also invited. He threatened him on Facebook that he wanted to “sit on” him.Presidium calls on president to resignIn a press conference called at short notice on Tuesday, all four other members of the presidium called for Steinhart’s immediate withdrawal from the presidency. All three vice presidents – Ferenci, Erik Randall Huber and Stefan Konrad – as well as Tömböl spoke out in favor of Steinhart’s withdrawal from the five-member committee. The reason for the call for his resignation is the events surrounding an extraordinary meeting of the Curia of Resident Doctors last Friday, about which There are different views on the part of the parties to the conflict. One of the things that led to the turbulence was the allegations brought to light by Huber against the procurement platform Equip4Ordi (E4O). This is an outsourced subsidiary of the Curia of Resident Doctors. The public prosecutor’s office is currently investigating suspicions of infidelity, favoritism and serious fraud – among other things, Steinhart, who was chairman of the Resident Curia at the time, is listed as a suspect. He has always rejected the allegations. Curia chairman refused to leave the room. Chamber President Steinhart had already stated again on Tuesday morning that in the meeting in question, Curia chairman Huber was expressed to be biased towards certain topics and motions. Six groups were in favor of doing this. After Huber refused to acknowledge this vote result and leave the room, the representatives of these six factions were forced to change the meeting room. Accusation of “anti-democratic methods” With regard to the meeting, Ferenci accused Steinhart of using anti-democratic methods to approve. However, that is not the only reason why Steinhart is no longer fit for the office of President of the Vienna Medical Association. There are five people in the executive committee. There would be no investigations against “the four of us” and no one would be listed as a suspect, said Ferenci, distinguishing himself, Huber, Konrad and Tömböl from the fifth executive committee member Steinhart. Steinhart does not want to know anything about his resignation. Steinhart himself had already rejected all calls for his resignation on Tuesday morning. He emphasized that he was democratically elected President of the Vienna and Austrian Medical Associations. “And anyone who knows me knows that, as a democrat, I will of course also stand for democratic votes in the future,” assured Steinhart. The next general meeting will not be until December. Formally, the President of the Vienna Medical Association can be removed from office by means of a motion of no confidence by the general meeting. The next regular general meeting would not be scheduled until December. A third of the 90-seat members of the general assembly can convene an extraordinary meeting. In order to pass a motion of no confidence in the general assembly, a two-thirds majority is necessary. There are already enough signatures for an extraordinary general meeting, said Ferenci. He doesn’t know whether there will be a two-thirds majority for a motion of no confidence. In any case, it is important to make it clear to Steinhart that many mandataries are dissatisfied with him. “Pretextual basis” for leaving the meeting. Four factions subsequently announced that 14 of the 28 mandataries present had left the meeting. The allegations against the colleague who physically attacked another were false, the argument was a “pretext for leaving the meeting”, they criticized the “factions around Vice Presidents Ferenci and Huber”. A motion to vote out finance officer Tömböl was planned at the meeting.
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