The Federal Ministry of Health is launching a new initiative to establish Integrated Emergency Centres (IECs) at selected hospitals across the country to provide more efficient and effective care for patients with acute conditions who cannot see their general practitioner. These IECs will comprise both an emergency room and an emergency practice.
At the IECs, a central reception desk will assess the most appropriate care for each patient. The emergency practice has a set opening hours schedule: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 18:00 to 21:00; Wednesday and Friday from 14:00 to 21:00; Saturday, Sunday, and national holidays from 9:00 to 21:00. Outside these hours, patients can receive care in the emergency room. The new regulations are set to take effect in early 2025, though some structures are still under development, with full services expected to be available by 2026.