An Austrian hospital has dismissed a senior doctor after he allegedly said that “only Auschwitz would help” when discussing the case of an overweight patient. The remark, viewed as a trivialisation of the Holocaust, prompted staff complaints about antisemitic language, bullying, and a climate of fear within the department, reports The Jerusalem Post.
The incident occurred at Landesklinikum Horn, a major regional hospital in Lower Austria’s Waldviertel area. According to Austrian media, the department head made the Auschwitz reference during an internal meeting, telling colleagues that “only Auschwitz would help here” when speaking about a patient’s weight. The comment referred to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Nazi extermination camp where over a million Jews were murdered.
The remark came to public attention after staff sent an anonymous letter to local outlet MeinBezirk, describing the statement as crossing “red lines of humanity and professionalism.” The letter also accused the doctor of shouting at staff and creating an atmosphere so hostile that nurses reportedly refused to join him on medical rounds.
Following the publication of the letter, the Lower Austria Health Agency (LGA), which manages the region’s hospitals, confirmed that the physician had been suspended and later dismissed. In a statement quoted by Austrian media, the agency said: “Following investigations under employment law, the employment relationship has now been terminated with immediate effect.” The LGA stated that such comments were “in direct contradiction to our fundamental values” and described them as a “massive breach of official duties” that would not be tolerated.
The case has caused particular controversy because Horn is considered one of the flagship hospitals in the region. Only two weeks earlier, regional politicians approved around €90 million for major renovations and expansion, the largest investment in the area’s health infrastructure in decades. Local media noted that this is the second recent scandal involving a senior doctor at the same hospital. In 2023, another department head reportedly told a 90-year-old patient, “What do you want? You are 90, you are going to die,” a remark that sparked debate about acceptable communication in clinical settings. That doctor retired a few months later.
Austria has some of Europe’s strictest laws against the glorification or denial of National Socialism, including the 1947 Prohibition Act, which bans Nazi propaganda and the belittlement of Nazi crimes. While there is currently no indication that the remark will lead to criminal charges, Austrian coverage has emphasised that invoking Auschwitz in this context trivialises the Holocaust and risks normalising extremist language in medical environments.
Photo Credit: REUTERS
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