Feldkirch will have only three public eye-doctor posts from January

Three of the six public-insurance eye-doctor positions in Feldkirch district will be vacant from January, ORF Vorarlberg reports. Two are already unfilled, including one in Rankweil that has been vacant for years; another doctor is switching to a private-pay practice.

The Austrian Medical Chamber says the region does not face a shortage of eye-care services. Martin Tschann, head of the chamber’s ophthalmology group, said there were still enough eye doctors, including private-pay doctors, and that patients could get appointments at short notice. He acknowledged, however, that not everyone can or wants to pay for private care.

Tschann said the shortage of doctors taking public insurance was linked to the length of specialist training. He said 17 doctors were currently training in ophthalmology in Vorarlberg, more than ever before, and expected 10 specialists to be ready within six years.

The Austrian Health Insurance Fund said Feldkirch was an exception in the state: all planned positions in other districts were filled, with Dornbirn and Bludenz even having more doctors than planned. In those districts, several ophthalmologists share a public-insurance position under an expanded job-sharing arrangement. In Dornbirn, however, one doctor will leave his position at the end of the year for health reasons.

Opticians say patients are feeling the pressure. A Feldkirch optician told ORF that many customers were frustrated because they could not get appointments with eye doctors. Her shop can test eyesight and measure eye pressure, but she said these checks cannot replace a medical examination and customers are advised to see a doctor if anything unusual is found.

Optician Ulrich Baldauf, from Götzis, also said eye-doctor appointments were often unavailable. His shop carries out extensive examinations related to glasses and contact lenses, but he said medical eye care was important, particularly from the age of 45, and should be provided by an eye doctor.

Some opticians now offer broader preventive checks. Roland Hausenbichler of Sehzentrum Götzis said measurements are sent anonymously to a partner platform, where eye doctors review them and provide a report on eye health. He said this, too, was not a substitute for an examination by a specialist, who is needed for more serious conditions.