Pustertal is planning medical services for tourists – opportunity or risk?

Pustertal is planning medical services for tourists – opportunity or risk?

A special on-call service for holidaymakers is being introduced in the Pustertal to counteract the overload of emergency rooms in popular tourist regions. This was announced in response to increasingly busy emergency rooms, which are often used by holidaymakers with harmless ailments. Loud South Tyrol News The organization of this service is private and the costs must be borne by the guests themselves.

While such a model could optimize medical care, it also risks creating a two-tier healthcare system where locals and tourists are treated differently. It also raises ethical questions, such as treatment by possibly inexperienced doctors. However, numerous details regarding the exact organization and start date of the on-call service are currently unclear. One thing is certain: the additional costs will have to be borne by tourists, which raises concerns about fairness towards locals.

Challenges in the healthcare system

The ongoing tourism not only brings with it sales, but also significant additional costs for the health system. As a result, emergency rooms are burdened when, for example, non-life-threatening but urgent complaints such as a runny nose or headache occur. This is exactly where the need for an on-call service comes into play, as the experiences of doctors show.

How 116117 reported that many patients are unaware of the options available to medical on-call services. Kristina S., a family doctor, notices that her patients are often unsure where to go for such complaints, which leads to overloading emergency rooms. Peter M., who works in an emergency room, emphasizes that focusing on life-threatening emergencies while treating patients with less urgent concerns is challenging.

The solution through the on-call service

The emergency number 116117 offers an easy way to find out about the nearest on-call service practice. Markus F. describes that he came across the website while searching the Internet and received helpful information there. Kristina S. emphasizes how important it is that patients find the right contact point in order to sustainably relieve the burden on emergency care.

In urban areas there are already several on-call practices that are open when other medical practices are closed. According to Peter M., patients should use these offers more intensively in order to reduce the burden on emergency departments. Ultimately, it is crucial that the population is informed about these services to ensure an effective healthcare system. The implementation of the new on-call service in Pustertal could fundamentally change the medical care landscape in the region and also help to retain young doctors in the region.