Image: Vienna General Hospital/Christian Hudek
The AKH Vienna and the hospitals of the Vienna Health Association (WiGev) are sticking to their previous regulations. WiGev confirmed a report by the Ö1 “Morgenjournal” on Thursday. Facilities in the rest of the country also adhere to stricter requirements in some cases.
The decision in Vienna is justified with the positive effects on the patients and with more security. “It is important to guide the visitors and limit the number,” said Elena Reghenzani from APA’s WiGev. Negative corona tests are not necessary for admission, but people aged six and over must continue to wear FFP2 masks.
Visiting hours have been standardized from Monday to Sunday at 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Last admission is at 4 p.m. On Wednesdays, weekends and public holidays, patients also have the opportunity to receive visitors between 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Patients in facilities of the General Accident Insurance Institution (AUVA) in Vienna are also only allowed to receive three visitors wearing FFP2 masks per day. “In the interest of the safety of the patients, we ask you to limit both the duration and the number of people per day for visiting your relatives,” says the homepage. The same regulation also applies to the Brothers of Mercy and St. Joseph Hospital. In the Orthopedic Hospital Speising, a maximum of two visitors per patient may be in the room or in the corridor at the same time. The duration of the visit is one hour. Children under the age of six are not allowed.
Visitors have a positive influence on patients
The WiGev referred to numerous studies on the positive influence of visitors at the bedside. However, coming and going should not be unrestricted and must be controlled. “This ensures that our patients can receive daily and reliable visits from their relatives. At the same time, the control also helps to limit the number of visitors in such a way that patients are not disturbed or overwhelmed,” said a statement. Particular consideration must be given to patients who are in multi-bed rooms.
However, there should still be exceptions, for example in neonatology, as Reghenzani confirmed. In special cases, people who have tested positive for the corona virus are also allowed to enter hospitals. For example, when it comes to accompanying or visiting underage patients, accompanying persons at birth and in the context of palliative care and hospice care or other critical life events.
The Viennese patient advocate Gerhard Jelinek is critical of the retention of the regulations. “Our experience says that several family members often want to come at the same time to visit someone and that receiving a visit is also very, very positive for the healing process,” says Jelinek in the Ö1 “Morgenjournal.” The exchange with the world outside the hospital is important and also give those affected an optimistic prognosis for the future.”We all know that a positive attitude towards life is an essential healing factor alongside therapy.”
New visiting hours concept in Tyrol
In Tyrol, the state-owned “tirol kliniken”, which include the hospitals in Innsbruck, Hall in Tirol, Natters and Zirl, currently operate with somewhat stricter rules than in Vienna. At the Innsbruck clinic, one visitor per patient is still allowed at a certain time – with FFP2 mask requirement – two visitors in Hall Natters and Zirl. However, these specific rules would be a thing of the past as soon as the last Corona Protection Ordinance expired at the end of April, said Johannes Schwamberger, spokesman for the tirol kliniken, to the APA. He didn’t want to rule out the possibility of at least loosening up earlier. When the regulation expires, there are plans to generally implement a new visitor or visiting time concept. You want to “rethink” some things here. The new concept is expected to be based on the results of a survey conducted. 1,000 people – employees, patients and visitors – were asked for their opinion on restrictions and the like. For example, it turned out that almost only the visitors themselves complained about restrictions on visits. There are also differences depending on the medical specialty. In the field of psychiatry, for example, employees in particular would urge that more relatives be allowed to visit hospitals again.
Two visitors per patient in Upper Austria and Vorarlberg
In Upper Austria, the clinics and hospitals agreed and have even stricter regulations than in Vienna. Currently, two visitors per patient – with FFP2 masks – are allowed per day for one hour during general visiting hours. For patients with special life events, however, there are individual agreements, according to the Sisters of Mercy hospital in Ried. They are waiting for the regulation from the Ministry of Health, which will apply from the end of April and will then be coordinated again across Upper Austria, Upper Austria agreed. Health Holding and Ordensklinikum Linz agree.
According to official information from the hospital operating company of the state hospitals and also at the Dornbirn city hospital, the upper limit for visitors in Vorarlberg is currently two visitors per patient per day. FFP2 mask wearing is mandatory for everyone over the age of 14. Children over the age of six must wear a face mask.
No visit limits in Salzburg’s hospitals
The 3G rule has been lifted in the hospitals in the state of Salzburg, and there are no longer any access controls or visitor numbers. However, all visitors, patients and companions in buildings must wear an FFP2 mask. In addition, people with restricted traffic do not have access, apart from emergencies. Visitors to high-risk areas (e.g. intensive care units, neonatology, oncology) must wear appropriate protective equipment. Depending on the hospital, exceptions apply to children, pregnant women or relatives of minors or patients in the palliative care sector. In the Salzburg state clinics (SALK), the visiting times have also been largely standardized compared to the pre-Corona period.
Styria: Maximum 30 minutes visit per day
In the Steiermärkische Krankenanstaltengesellschaft KAGes, one visitor per patient and per day can be admitted for a maximum of 30 minutes after registration on the respective ward. Only one visitor may be in a patient room at a time. Exceptions to the visiting regulations are possible for palliative care and hospice care and for patients in critical life events. Depending on the situation, individual houses, clinics or departments and wards can set different regulations, according to the APA request.
Visitor regulations as before Corona in Burgenland
In the Burgenland hospitals of the KRAGES (Burgenländische Krankenanstalten GmbH), on the other hand, they want to return to the visitor regulations from before the pandemic. In accordance with federal requirements, FFP2 masks are mandatory until the end of April, after that no longer. Visiting hours will be extended again, but more attention will be paid to ensuring that these are actually observed, emphasized a spokesman for KRAGES when asked by APA. There will no longer be any restrictions on the number of visitors. In the Brothers of Charity hospital in Eisenstadt, reference was made to the regulations currently in force from last December. Patients who are planned to be admitted to hospital therefore need a negative PCR test result. There is also a mask requirement.
No visitor limit in Carinthia and Lower Austria
There is no longer an upper limit for visitors in the hospitals in the Carinthian state clinics of the Kabeg. “However, it is asked to take into account the medical and nursing processes as well as fellow patients during the visits,” said hospital spokeswoman Nathalie Trost when asked by APA. Masks and hand disinfection for visitors and patients outside their rooms will remain in place for the time being – whether beyond April will be decided.
In Lower Austria, masks are compulsory in the clinics and in the care and support as well as care and support centers, the State Health Agency (LGA) announced on request. Persons with restricted mobility and symptomatic persons are not allowed to enter the facilities. “Depending on the location and situation, additional measures can be taken,” it said. At the Tulln University Hospital, for example, visits are limited to between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. There is no restriction on the number of visitors.
Source: Nachrichten
