SOCIETY 372 /2017

LIFE & STYLE
GESUNDHEIT
Fotos: sandra herczeg, isabella abel
All of us are human beings, are
there any specifics with regards
to medical care for diplomats
and their staff?
Modern medicine is supposed
to prevent disease, this includes
repeated check-ups or, if unattainable, to detect
problems before they clinically occur, i.e., being
apparent to patient and/or physician, or, albeit
less favorably, to become alert at an early stage,
in order to provide immediate and effective treatment.
Diplomatic representations, UN, IAEA as well
as UNIDO have headquarters in Vienna, creating
a group of professionals with attendance needs.
Vienna also hosts a variety of conferences, sometimes
assembling hundreds of diplomats and attendants
at once, increasing the likelihood that
an acute medical intervention may be necessary.
The need for medical attention and awareness
of supporting treatments is something that most
embassies and diplomatic groups are well aware
of, but there is often still a need to know what is
available and how to access it.
The classic issues for those in post are being far
from home and often with family members remaining
at home who would otherwise provide support.
Representatives are often less inclined to undergo
preventive medical tests or delay taking action.
If, with a background of an acute condition,
an immediate treatment becomes necessary, it is
not always easy to get access to the medical history
and records. Often, previous test results are
not provided by the patient and with no straightforward
access to the physician, who may earlier
have been dealing with a patient at risk and holding
preventive test or medical therapy results, this
can result in delay and increase the risk for the
patient.
Where medical imaging has been used, such as
computerized tomography or nuclear magnetic
resonance, the data is high volume meaning that
even access via the internet is usually not feasible
or satisfactory.
Modern Reception Area
In a busy role, with a busy schedule, it is often
easy to overlook the need for medical prevention
to be included in an overall professional plan,
with time constraints always an issue.
Costs can also be of concern, especially where
hospitals are hesitant to provide quotes for a
treatment or course of treatments, or a reliable
estimate in a straightforward way. There is also
the difficulty in making the decision on patient
comfort vs. the availability of high end medical
technology that can result in a tradeoff between
big, government-supported hospitals vs. private
“boutique”-healthcare.
How, in addressing these issues, is the newly
established “Vienna Medical Center – Zentrum
für Medizin und Gesundheit” positioned?
The center is located within a central Viennese
location and in the immediate vicinity of the Vienna
General Hospital (Allgemeines Krankenhaus
also referred to as the AKH), University Hospital,
St. Anna Children’s Hospital (St. Anna Kinderspital)
and various private hospitals, such as the Private
Clinic Vienna (Wiener Privatklinik), Private
Clinic Josefstadt (Confraternität – Privatklinik
Josefstadt) and the Goldenes Kreuz Private Clinic
(Krankenanstalt Goldenes Kreuz).
The “Vienna Medical Center” is equipped with
the most modern technology and provides a basis
for consultants from various medical backgrounds
being available for examining patients
and providing treatments. It can also provide full
medical check-ups as well as conservative and
minimal-invasive pain medicine and treatments
for patients with spine and joint discomfort.
The center has a close cooperation with various
high-end medical institutions both internationally
and throughout Austria in order to utilise qualified
second opinion referrals, medical treatment
abroad according to a patient’s wishes, or, in the
rare case, that a highly-specialised treatment may
not be available in country. Sometimes, legal issues
arise with regards to medical coverage from
abroad and in this case Setfords Solicitors, London,
serves as one of our partners.
•
INFO
Treatment Room of the Vienna Medical Center
CURRICULUM
VITAE
Michael Zimpfer, MD, is
full professor at the Vienna
General Hospital, Medical
University of Vienna, and
holds a master of business
administration (MBA),
University of Chicago. Previous
assignments include
Harvard Medical School
(Cardiology Department,
Peter Bent Brigham Hospital,
Boston), Duke Medical
Center for Outcomes
Research, North Carolina.
He is also a member of the
Society of Friends of the
Weizmann Institute of Science
and served as a visiting
professor at the King
Faisal Specialist Hospital in
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Vienna Medical Center
provides straightforward
access to state-of-the-art
diagnostics and leadingedge
medicine for all disciplines
including modern,
conservative and minimalinvasive
pain treatment.
For further information
and professional certification
details relating to
post-doctoral medical and
non-medical training:
3/101 Pelikangasse
1090 Vienna/Austria
Phone: +43 - 1 - 997 28 30,
Fax: +43 - 1 - 997 28 30 – 99
michael@zimpfer.at
Web: www.zimpfer.at
SOCIETY 2_2017 | 125