Continued Waiting for Corona Centers in Many Federal States

Concrete announcements for centers for Post Covid and ME/CFS have so far been made in Salzburg and Burgenland. In Vienna and Styria, projects are also in the planning phase. In the other federal states, inquiries by the APA were referred to existing facilities or the intention to wait was expressed.

Fundamental Decision for Corona Centers in Salzburg

As the first federal state in Austria, Salzburg decided last autumn to establish a contact point for ME/CFS patients and their relatives. A corresponding application was unanimously approved in the state parliament. However, it may take some time before the facility is actually available: "In mid-January, a medical exchange with colleagues from Salzburg and the reference center from Vienna took place," Health Councillor Daniela Gutschi (ÖVP) told the APA. "Subsequently, an interdisciplinary expert group will work out where and in what form a contact point can be established." Currently, those affected in Salzburg can turn to the Long Covid Clinic in Zell am See and the Long Covid Rehab at the University Hospital Salzburg, as well as to doctors in private practice. However, a round table of the Salzburg ME/CFS self-help group in October showed that the care is still very inadequate, according to Gutschi.

Plans for Corona Centers Also in Vienna, Burgenland, and Styria

In Burgenland, the establishment of a clinic specializing in Long Covid and ME/CFS is also planned - and is anchored in the new red-green government program. So far, the care of those affected has been carried out within the framework of the "regular regional health care," according to the APA inquiry from the state. For psychological stress, the Psychosocial Service is also available. Already now, there is a paid "REDUCE Module Long Covid" for regeneration in Bad Tatzmannsdorf. In Vienna, plans for a center are underway, according to the office of Health Councillor Peter Hacker (SPÖ) to the APA. Last autumn, it was agreed in the state target steering commission "to design a clinic," according to a spokesperson. The treatment center is to be established under the title "PAIS Competence Center." The Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK) and the Pension Insurance Institution (PVA) are leading, with the city of Vienna participating "financially and conceptually," according to Hacker's office. Nothing is concrete yet, the "conceptual phase" is currently underway. Where the planned facility will be located is currently as open as when implementation can begin. In Styria, plans for preliminary work to establish a contact point are also underway, according to the office of Health Councillor Karlheinz Kornhäusl (ÖVP). The experiences of recent years have shown that pneumological issues are declining and those related to ME/CFS are increasing. Therefore, at Kornhäusl's initiative, discussions with the Medical University of Graz about the possible establishment of a central contact point for ME/CFS patients were initiated last year. A cooperation between the University Hospital Graz and the Medical University of Graz is favored.

"Coordination Centers" in Tyrol and Vorarlberg

In Tyrol, the state referred to the fact that a Post-Covid coordination center was established at the State Institute for Integrated Care (LIV) in October 2021. There, patients are "accompanied and supported in a resource-oriented manner." The first points of contact are general practitioners and private specialists who can refer those affected to a "low-threshold and free initial consultation" at the coordination center. Depending on the need, they are then referred to specialist clinics of the Tyrol clinics or to occupational therapy at the fh gesundheit. This coordination center has recently been expanded in terms of personnel, and now also deals with all post-acute infection syndromes. In Vorarlberg, a coordination center was also referred to, which was established at the State Hospital Hohenems. The establishment of a contact point planned by the federal government is desired in Vorarlberg, it was said. This contact point for Vorarlberg residents would be set up in Innsbruck, with Vorarlberg co-financing. However, they are still waiting for a "coordinated nationwide overall concept," it was recently stated in a parliamentary inquiry answered by State Councillor Martina Rüscher (ÖVP).

No Plans for Corona Centers in Upper Austria for Now

In Upper Austria, where there are currently no specific facilities, the response was reserved. The health department indicated that the necessary data basis to assess the need is currently lacking. In Carinthia, the office of Health Councillor Beate Prettner (SPÖ) stated that the local action plan envisions general practitioners as the "first point of contact" for affected individuals instead of outpatient clinics. Additionally, the establishment of an interdisciplinary contact point for rare and undiagnosed diseases is planned, "which also includes post-acute infection syndromes or Long-Covid," according to Prettner. Regarding the National Action Plan (NAP) on PAIS issued by the federal government, Prettner said the 50 recommendations were published "without a concrete implementation plan." The state of Lower Austria referred to its Health Pact 2040+. Within this framework, the future structure of the Lower Austrian healthcare system is being discussed. The finalization of the Regional Health Structure Plan is planned by the end of 2025. This will establish the new framework plan for care, including for those affected by Long/Post Covid, ME/CFS, and post-viral diseases, it was stated.

Representation of Affected Individuals Demands Swift Action

In response to an APA inquiry, the Austrian Society for ME/CFS welcomed progress in this area but also expressed clear criticism: Overall, the responses from the states sound as if "there are already many places for ME/CFS." However, the reality is different. "For example, the mentioned coordination centers cannot provide treatment for ME/CFS because the necessary facilities behind them do not exist." General practitioners and psychological support are neither suitable nor responsible for severe chronic diseases with physical causes. "They cannot provide the specialized diagnostics and treatment needed for ME/CFS, as for any other disease of this severity. So while a lot is being listed, ME/CFS sufferers remain completely un- and misprovided for," stated the ÖG ME/CFS.

The patient representation also criticized the lack of overall planning. "In every federal state, affected individuals have to start anew with education and establish contact with state politics because there is no coordinated, binding approach." To date, none of the many "care pathways" from recent years have been decided for implementation in the "federal target control," and "responsibility is often shifted around." The National Action Plan (NAP) on post-acute infection syndromes, presented last year by Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens), must be "quickly implemented as a good package of measures developed in collaboration with all health policy actors," according to the demand. "The structures in the health and social system must be brought to the level that is taken for granted for other diseases."

Former Health Minister Anschober: Care Situation "Often Catastrophic"

Former Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (Greens) called for swift action on Sunday in an APA interview. "The current medical care situation for those affected by ME/CFS and Long Covid is often catastrophic," said the ex-politician, who now serves as an advisor on the board of the We&Me Foundation. The initiative, founded by the Viennese bakery family Ströck, is dedicated to researching ME/CFS - two of the family's sons have long been affected by the disease, which can occur not only after Covid but also (among others) as a result of other infections. "The states are urgently called upon to create a comprehensive offering, as is also envisaged in the National Action Plan," said Anschober. Several federal states are currently working "ambitiously" on this. The goal must be "that this year a comprehensive network is established in all federal states and the new federal government, together with the states, consistently implements the National Action Plan, as all parties also promised during the election campaign."

ME/CFS Specialist Also Calls for Corona Centers

The Viennese neurologist and ME/CFS specialist Michael Stingl also emphasized the need for specialized centers in an APA interview: "We have long needed contact points for ME/CFS, and their establishment should be a top priority. The demand from me and other colleagues dealing with the topic is enormous, and without adequate diagnostics and therapy, one accepts that possible improvements within the disease are not achieved." This affects the need for care, but also, in individual cases, a still possible ability to work and therefore has "a dimension beyond individual concern," said the physician. At the reference center established at MedUni, a guideline for stakeholders is currently being developed for the implementation of treatment centers. Additionally, a new research project on the care of affected individuals has been launched at MedUni. The results are expected to provide insights into the situation and disease progression of severely and very severely affected ME/CFS patients in Austria, as well as their experiences in the healthcare system.

(APA/Red)

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