Medical care is guaranteed, as agreed in advance with everyone involved
Vienna (OTS) – At its meeting on February 28, 2024, the AUVA Board of Directors unanimously approved the temporary relocation of the inpatient services of the Vienna Trauma Center – Brigittenau location to the Meidling location and the AKH until the end of 2024, as well as the merging of the services in the form of an interim solution from the beginning of 2025 decided to build an interim building in Brigittenau. The Board of Directors is the executive body of AUVA and is made up of 6 employee and 6 employer representatives. As communicated in the press release of February 28th, a research, business and health campus with cooperation partners is to be built at this location by 2030.
Referring to isolated reports in the media, the AUVA notes the following facts:
As part of the planning for the development of the research, business and health campus at the location of the Vienna-Brigittenau trauma center (Lorenz Böhler) with various partners and the associated necessary general renovation of the trauma center, a fundamental building law agreement was reached with the responsible authority in June 2023 and fire protection discussion takes place. The need to determine the fire resistance of the existing steel frame structure was identified.
A fire protection expert then carried out a selective opening in various parts of the ceiling in order to determine the existing fire resistance. On the basis of the visual inspections carried out in conjunction with the available planning documents, it was determined that the fire resistance met the previous requirements; the result was brought to the attention of the authority accordingly.
As part of the further coordination process with the authority, the authority required the creation and submission of a comprehensive security and renovation concept. The AUVA again commissioned the fire protection expert for this purpose. The security concept presented was subsequently further developed in close coordination with the authorities and continuously adapted to the official requirements. Ultimately, at the request of the authority, a comprehensive static and fire protection analysis of the entire building was carried out.
In the course of this comprehensive examination, which was carried out by another expert, it became apparent for the first time that the required fire protection coating for the steel frame structure was inadequate. The static calculations that were carried out immediately with this knowledge revealed a significantly inadequate fire resistance. The results were immediately brought to the attention of the authority.
As a result, among other things, the company issued a request to immediately rectify the defects in the coating of the steel frame structure. This cannot be achieved during ongoing operation.
In the event that the fire protection measures imposed cannot be implemented or verified, the authority has determined that the business must be closed as quickly as possible and that appropriate planning must be made by the AUVA.
For AUVA, as the operator of the trauma center, the safety of patients and employees is the top priority. Since an immediate renovation is not technically possible, work is currently underway on the service relocations that have already been communicated. Since the facts described became known, immediate measures were initiated, such as reducing bed occupancy and providing additional extinguishing agents. Although these measures are effective, they are ultimately only temporary, which is why the orderly transfer of services is the next, necessary step.
Contrary to reports to the contrary, medical care is guaranteed, which was always communicated to everyone involved in advance.
Appropriate compensatory measures were taken by AUVA. This applies not only to patient care, but also to colleagues in training.
Statements that contain the opposite are neither fact-based nor accurate with regard to the resulting effectiveness of care.
Questions & Contact:
AUVA General Accident Insurance Institute
Christoph Luke
communication@auva.at