Health

People in the Tyrol are very health-conscious. That is one of the reasons why Tyroleans have a life expectancy that is well above the Austrian average. They make exemplary use of the Austrian preventive medical examination programme; together with Vorarlberg, the Tyrol has the highest take-up rate of all the Austrian regions. In the interest of public health in the Tyrol, the regional authority maintains a full network of heath services.

Provision of public health services

The Tyrol has nine general public hospitals and three specialist public hospitals with a total of 4,150 beds. The regional hospitals (in German) – Innsbruck University Clinic, Hochzirl, Natters and the Tyrolean Psychiatric Hospital – provide state-of-the-art medical care. The Tyrol also has six district hospitals – in Hall i.T., Schwaz, Kufstein, St. Johann in Tirol, Lienz and Reutte. They guarantee optimum de-central medical care for the people living in the various districts. The public hospitals are financed on the basis of the Austrian Diagnosis Related Groups system out of the Tyrolean Health Fund (in German) - Tiroler Gesundheitsfonds - TGF.

The TGF and the Tyrolean Patient Indemnification Fund (in German) are administered by the regional authority. Payments out of the fund are handled by the TGF office, which also functions as a supervisory body for the public hospitals. In order to protect patients' rights and interests, the Tyrolean regional authority appoints a Patients' Ombudsman. The Indemnification Office (pursuant to the Tyrolean Indemnification Fund Law) forms part of the Office of the Patients' Ombudsman (in German).

Well trained healthcare professionals are a precondition for an effective health service. The Health Education Centre - GesundheitsPädagogisches Zentrum (in German) - managed by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer is an education facility run by the regional authority to provide training and continuous education in the field of health and welfare.

The state of public health in the Tyrol is the subject of the Tyrolean Health Report (in German), which is published every five years and provides detailed information on the state of health of the population of the Tyrol. Special reports are also published as required.

Click here for further information on the subject of health, support programmes and the relevant departments at the Office of the Tyrolean Regional Government (in German).