Christian Dobler-Strehle has been the district manager of the Ried Red Cross for a year and a half. Despite the ongoing corona pandemic, the 34-year-old is positive about the future. “We have our tasks well under control thanks to our excellent employees, whether full-time or voluntary.”
OÖN: In June 2020, took over the management of the Red Cross Ried during the corona pandemic. How challenging have the past year and a half been?
Christian Dobler-Strehle: At the beginning the most difficult thing was to adjust to the overall situation with Corona. We succeeded very well – the reason for this is the large number of full-time and voluntary employees. For me personally, it was certainly an advantage that I had been active in various areas of responsibility since my time with the civilian service at the Red Cross and therefore knew many of the people involved personally beforehand.
What are the main tasks of the Red Cross when it comes to Corona?
We operate the vaccination and PCR test line on behalf of the authorities. In Impfstraße in Hall 12 we will be open from Wednesday to Saturday from this week onwards, you can basically come without registering, but there may be longer waiting times. We therefore ask you to register in advance (oesterreich-impft.at). Of course, we are responsible for all rescue and emergency medical care in the district, these challenges have become even more difficult due to Corona. We also take care of the Corona hotline 1450. In the Ried district, the Red Cross has a total of around 1200 employees, 1100 of whom are volunteers.
Has the pandemic had a negative impact on the number of volunteers?
No, on the contrary. It has been noticed that many want to stand up for their fellow human beings in the lockdowns. The willingness to help others has increased, and we have also benefited from this. An example: Our rescue service plans are already planned through to after New Year’s Eve, which is unusual.
How big is the burden for the employees and helpers?
Due to the additional tasks, PCR tests and vaccination lines, our team was increased by 25 personnel units. That was a great relief. With the previously existing resources, we would otherwise have been unable to manage this. Everyone is challenged, but the solidarity in our team is great. Our motto is: We want to be part of the solution and not part of the problem. There are areas, such as rescue trips to corona patients with protective suits, where we are particularly challenged. The transfer of intensive care patients from the Ried, Braunau and Schärding hospitals to other hospitals is also a challenge. We have the relevant base for the Innviertel in Ried.
What’s going on inside you when you see thousands of anti-vaccination campaigners and, in some cases, corona deniers demonstrating on the streets with no distance or masks?
We live in a democracy, so there is the right to freedom of demonstration. But I would invite everyone to take a look at the facts. It would be important to trust science. We live in a world in which we benefit from scientific knowledge every day. These show that the vaccination helps and a very high percentage of severe cases can be prevented. Distance and mask help. We have very few infections within the Red Cross because of the masks. This shows that the protective measures are helping.
What if there are even demonstrations in front of hospitals?
If doctors are accused of telling the truth or even trying to disrupt hospital processes, then I have no understanding whatsoever.
What is the current vaccination readiness in the Ried district?
We can already see that it is increasing a bit, but most of the bites are third-party vaccinations. However, the mandatory vaccination announced by the government will leave little room for maneuver, so we assume that the rate will increase significantly. We will also offer more vaccination routes. The child vaccination campaign got off to a very successful start.
What is the best thing about your job?
There is so much there. If I come to work in the morning and I think I can see a smile behind the masks, then the day starts on a positive note. The fact that we all pull together motivates me every day. I hope that soon we can live the community and sociability again more.
Today and tomorrow the big blood donation drive of the Red Cross takes place, the SV Ried and the OÖN. How important is blood donation in times like these?
Blood donations are essential for the care of sick and injured people. The people of Innviertel are among the busiest blood donors in Upper Austria. The joint action of the three strong regional partners does not exist anywhere else in this form. We hope that many volunteers will come again on the two days.
Source: Nachrichten
