Lower Austria dispatches medical teams by expertise, not proximity

Lower Austria’s emergency dispatch system sends the medical team with the appropriate staff rather than automatically dispatching the nearest vehicle, ORF reports. Experts say trained paramedics can independently treat cases such as asthma attacks, while emergency doctors remain essential for severe and complex emergencies.

The issue was raised by Sven Hergovich, chairman of the Lower Austria branch of the Social Democratic Party, during an ORF programme. He referred to the death of a 14-year-old girl in Upper Austria after a severe asthma attack in August 2025 and said: “That is something I do not want to experience in Lower Austria.”

According to a report by the Kronen Zeitung, two civil service workers were initially alerted at 2.22 p.m. The Red Cross in Upper Austria said the first emergency responders would otherwise have arrived several minutes later. One minute after the initial alert, authorities checked whether an emergency doctor or rescue helicopter was available. Both were initially committed to other operations.

The emergency doctor set off as soon as he became available and arrived 22 minutes after the alert. The helicopter landed after 38 minutes, but the girl could not be saved.

Experts say the case cannot easily be applied to Lower Austria. Christoph Redelsteiner, a health scientist and emergency paramedic, said medical emergencies generally require a graduated system involving first responders, an emergency dispatch centre and appropriately qualified ambulance crews. He described sending two civil service workers alone to an emergency as “grossly negligent”.

According to Redelsteiner, ambulances should be staffed by emergency paramedics who are medically supervised and can treat asthma attacks, seizures and injuries with medication. Paramedics with additional emergency qualifications can administer medication, place intravenous lines and give infusions, allowing well-trained teams to handle many emergencies initially or bridge the time until an emergency doctor arrives.

Nicole Kordina, medical director of Notruf NÖ, Lower Austria’s emergency dispatch centre, said the centre uses a standardised questioning system and decides which resources to send based on symptoms and urgency. For suspected heart attacks, acute breathing difficulties and unconsciousness, it immediately alerts an emergency doctor or rescue helicopter.

Asthma attacks can also be treated independently by emergency paramedics in an RTW-C ambulance, Kordina said. Children and teenagers do not automatically trigger an emergency doctor response. Symptoms, severity and the specific care situation are decisive.

An emergency doctor remains indispensable in particularly complex cases, such as when anaesthesia, surgery or treatment for people with very severe injuries is required. If additional medical assistance proves necessary at the scene, the operation is upgraded and an emergency doctor or helicopter is called in immediately.

Experts reject the view that asthma attacks must always be treated by an emergency doctor. However, Redelsteiner said Austria needed to catch up in the training of emergency paramedics. He called for a three-year “Bachelor Professional” qualification and further academic development opportunities.