A senior doctor in Austria has warned that planned budget cuts to universities could severely damage the country’s healthcare system, medical training, and research, according to Heute.
Markus Zeitlinger, head of the University Clinic for Clinical Pharmacology at the Medical University of Vienna and Vienna General Hospital (AKH), said the government’s proposed funding plan could have lasting consequences. Speaking to the newspaper Die Presse, he warned that the cuts would cause “irreversible damage.”
The debate comes as Austria prepares its university funding plan for 2028 to 2030. Universities say they need about €18 billion, but leaked figures suggest the government may provide only €15.5 billion.
Zeitlinger said the impact on Vienna’s AKH hospital could be especially serious. Around 90 percent of the Medical University of Vienna’s budget goes to staff, including all doctors working at the hospital. He warned that the cuts could lead to the loss of about 250 doctors—roughly one in seven positions.
For patients, this could mean much longer waiting times, especially for specialized treatments only available at university hospitals. Zeitlinger said some procedures could see waiting times double.
He also raised concerns about research and education. Austria’s ability to carry out top-level international research could decline, and access to new and innovative treatments may become more limited. At the same time, less time and fewer resources would be available to train future doctors.
The warning is especially striking as AKH Vienna was recently ranked among the world’s top 20 hospitals. Zeitlinger said it took decades to build this reputation and fears it could now be at risk.
He also challenged claims that the cuts amount to only €1 billion. When inflation and necessary adjustments are considered, he said the real shortfall could reach €2.5 billion, or about 14 percent.
Universities, he added, cannot absorb such losses, as they have limited reserves and are not allowed to take on debt.
Science Minister Eva Maria Holzleitner has said the figures are not yet final, and a decision has been delayed until autumn. However, concern remains high among universities.
A large protest is planned at the University of Vienna this Wednesday, with Zeitlinger expected to join. He warned that the cuts would affect not only universities but society as a whole, putting both education and healthcare at risk in Austria.
