EMS Around the World: Austria Stays Stable as Virus Surges

The COVID-19 situation in the Austrian EMS sector is stabilizing, and while the number of cases rose throughout January, they do not appear to be leading to massive hospitalizations.

As the daily rate of new cases in the country surpassed 32,000 in late January, the Austrian parliament approved making coronavirus vaccinations mandatory for adults. Austria is the first country to do so, despite a wave of protests opposing the measure. Vaccines became mandatory February 5, and when checks begin in March, the unvaccinated may face fines up to €600 (US $668).

At present 72% of Austrian residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19—in line with the European Union average of just more than 70%. But compared to Western Europe, Austria’s vaccination rate is comparatively low.

Most Austrian analysts and public health experts report the pandemic has put a significant pressure on the country’s healthcare and EMS sectors. Austria has to date seen almost 14,000 COVID-related deaths and 1.5 million cases in a population of around 9 million. The regions of Salzburg and Upper Austria have been most affected, with their authorities forced to impose strict lockdowns and adopt crisis-response measures.

Workforce Problems

As in most other EU states, the pandemic resulted in a serious shortage of emergency paramedics and physicians across Austria, a problem that persists. Perhaps the most complex current situation is in Carinthia, the southernmost Austrian state, situated within the Eastern Alps.

As Roland Steiner, an official spokesperson for Carinthian emergency physicians, said in a recent interview with the local media outlet Radio Kärnten, “The problem is that there are too few emergency doctors. The hospitals are also struggling with a shortage of young specialists. Fewer and fewer emergency doctors want to do the job, which means pressure on the hospitals caused by the pandemic [has increased]. The coronavirus crisis has led to the fact that the doctors are pretty exhausted, which also affects the nursing staff, while many of them have already retired.”

The situation is complicated by low salaries. At present the hourly wage of emergency medical staff in Carinthia and most other Austrian states is just under €20 euros, though weekends can bring premium pay.

“I have doctors who work 150 hours of overtime within three months,” says Steiner. “They just want to have the weekends off. They’re exhausted and just can’t keep it up.”

Authorities in Carinthia and other states are aware of the current problems of both the healthcare and EMS sectors and plan to provide them additional support this year. This support will be primarily in the form of additional payments and provision of other benefits.

According to recent statements from Carinthian health officer Beate Prettner, the state has already increased fees for emergency doctors.

Says Prettner, “An emergency doctor now receives €1,243 for a service on weekends, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.”

Local authorities also plan to increase training of emergency medical staff to avoid such shortages in the future.

According to Prettner, the government has already reached an agreement with the state hospital operating company to train more emergency physicians. Moreover, the powers of paramedics will also be expanded.

A Well-Developed System

In the meantime, representatives of the Austrian central government believe the current situation with the pandemic is under control due to the country’s well-developed healthcare and EMS system. 

Karin Fischer, an official spokesperson of the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care, and Consumer Protection, in an exclusive interview says, “Prehospital emergency care is regulated differently in the federal states of Austria. In Vienna, for example, there is a separate rescue organization of the city, where in rural areas this function is assumed by organizations such as the Red Cross. Emergency medical care in hospitals is regulated in the Austrian Structural Plan for Health, where quality criteria concerning personnel and equipment are also defined.”

Austria has a nationwide network of ground-based emergency and air rescue services, as well as transport services for the sick. The organization of emergency services is the responsibility of local authorities, while the provinces are responsible for providing the necessary emergency equipment. Organizations such as the Red Cross may be contracted to provide services.

Alongside professional staff, numerous voluntary employees are deployed in the emergency and transport services. The air-rescue system is very well developed, with 38 locations (16 of which only operate in winter), and a total of 9 air-rescue operators carry out around 23,000 missions a year.

Still, despite this generally high level of development, the system has faced criticism in recent months. One cause has been problems experienced by Bavarian emergency doctors crossing the Austrian border to help support local patients.

The border between Austria and Germany’s southeastern state of Bavaria is 800 km long, and mutual aid has always been common between the sides. However, the recent legal issues (and serious delays in providing necessary permits) have prevented the provision of prompt assistance to Austrian COVID-19 patients by Bavarian doctors, sparking serious concerns about the system’s efficiency.

Eugene Gerden is an international freelance writer who specializes in coverage of the global firefighting, EMS, and rescue industries. He has worked for several industry titles and can be reached at gerden.eug@gmail.com.