“Now it’s that time again!”, Wrote Helmut Freudenthaler in his letter to Governor Thomas Stelzer (VP) and his deputy Christine Haberlander (VP). Freudenthaler is the works council chairman of the Med Campus Linz. Again, the nursing staff would be at the limit. “For a year now we have been calling for the urgently needed relief measures to be implemented.” And again nothing happened.
“Getting vaccinated and thus relieving the burden on the health system is only part of the solution,” says Freudenthaler. “Now politicians must finally act and help us.”
“Weepy and Done”
Every day nurses would ask him for help and advice: “The people are tearful and really exhausted. Many are on the verge of putting their hats on.” The services of the nursing staff last 12.5 hours, an average of 60 people work in an intensive care unit. “That sounds like a lot, but it isn’t, because the intensive cannot be closed over the weekend. The patients have to be looked after around the clock, seven days a week,” says the chairman of the works council.
In addition to the corona wave, carers are facing another wave, the retirement wave. Around 41,000 care workers in Austria will retire by 2030. In return, an additional 76,000 would be needed by 2030. Because people are getting older and work is getting bigger. The nationwide “5 to 12” protests had drawn attention to the situation of the nursing staff. “Many finally felt that they were heard,” says Freudenthaler. Nevertheless, the next protests are already being planned. Even strike measures are being prepared. (mis)
Source From: Nachrichten
