“We must not sleep through the summer again.” Peter Niedermoser, President of the Medical Association of Upper Austria (ÄKOÖ), called for this on Tuesday when he took stock of the two-year pandemic. “Instead, we – doctors, nurses, politicians, representatives of trade unions and hospital operators – should discuss together: what has worked, where is there room for improvement?”
From Niedermoser’s point of view, the commitment of the employees in the health sector, who have done a lot and very good work in the past two years, went well. In his opinion, there is room for improvement when it comes to communication: “We were not included in many of the policy requirements,” says Niedermoser. The implementation would have affected the doctors but very much.
maintain measures
Together with Thomas Fiedler, head of the curia of the resident doctors in the ÄKOÖ, Niedermoser also warns against being too careless in view of the forthcoming easing. After all, as is well known, many corona measures are to be abolished on March 5th. “I wouldn’t ditch the masks any time soon,” says Niedermoser. “No one can say when the pandemic will end. We don’t know what’s coming in the fall. That’s why we should sit down now and think about what we’re going to do if it’s not over.”
The two doctors advocate continuing to observe simple safety measures such as keeping your distance and washing your hands. “There is a risk that too many loosening will provoke carelessness,” says Fiedler. “I think it’s wrong to say, ‘It’s over’.”
And there are also challenges that doctors are only now facing, such as the treatment of long-Covid patients. As reported, the health insurance company has documented 15,000 such sick leave nationwide. “We have to pay attention to those affected,” says Niedermoser. “But we have to figure out how to treat Long Covid first because not much is known about it. New strategies and therapies have to be developed first.”
investment in staff
Overall, Austria has come through the pandemic well compared to other countries since the first Covid case was officially reported on February 25, 2020, says Niedermoser: “This is mainly because the health system and care for the elderly are well developed.”
There should be no savings in this system. The most important resource is the staff, i.e. doctors and nurses. Accordingly, the 750 million euros that the government promised the hospitals in December 2021 should flow into this area. “We have to see that young people get into this strenuous but beautiful area,” says Niedermoser. “We have to create the appropriate framework conditions for this.”
2.8 million vaccinations
Niedermoser and Fiedler also count the vaccination campaign among the success stories of the pandemic: by February 21, doctors in Upper Austria administered a total of more than 2.8 million stitches. “Vaccination is the way that has helped us so far and it will continue to be important,” says Niedermoser. Possibly, said Fiedler, Covid will go the way of the flu, “where we get a vaccination every autumn before the next wave. We will have to come to terms with Corona.”
Source: Nachrichten
