Doctor is fired for saying the one therapy that might assist clinically overweight affected person was ‘Auschwitz’
A senior doctor has been fired for allegedly saying the only treatment that would help a clinically obese patient was Auschwitz.
The incident, which sparked outrage among staff and health authorities, occurred at Horn State Hospital in Lower Austria.
Employees said the physician remarked: ‘Only more Auschwitz would help here’, referring to the patient. It was initially treated as an internal matter before exploding into a major scandal, according to local media outlets.
Staff members at the hospital are said to have raised the alarm after the comment was made during a meeting, with an anonymous letter later sent to Austrian publication MeinBezirk detailing the alleged remark and a toxic working environment.
The letter claimed that nursing staff had increasingly refused to accompany him on ward rounds because of his behaviour.
The Lower Austrian State Health Agency confirmed the doctor’s dismissal following an internal investigation. The decision was confirmed to Heute after inquiries were made.
Matthias Hofer, head of communications for the agency, said the response was immediate once the allegation became known.
‘After the incident came to light, the person involved was immediately suspended from duty,’ Hofer said.
‘Following an investigation into the matter, their employment has now been terminated with immediate effect.’
Horn State Hospital in Lower Austria, where the incident is said to have taken place. It was confirmed by the Lower Austrian State Health Agency that the doctor’s employment had been terminated
He added that such statements ‘directly contradict our core values, are to be condemned in the strongest terms, and will not be tolerated by us in any way.’
Hofer said the physician had been suspended on Friday, but the formal meeting to finalise the summary dismissal could only take place the following Tuesday due to a public holiday.
‘Such things have absolutely no place, even with the shortage of doctors in our field,’ he said.
The letter sent to the publication about the doctor’s alleged conduct also said: ‘This behaviour is a disgrace to Horn hospital and must have immediate consequences.’
Andreas Riedl, head of the district office of Austria’s Chamber of Labour, said no labour-law complaint had been filed but described the allegation as deeply troubling.
‘We have not received any labour law complaint regarding this incident, which is, of course, outrageous,’ Riedl said.
Police said they were not currently involved. A spokesman for the Lower Austrian police, Stefan Loidl, told Heute: ‘We have no information in this case so far. We are also unaware of any charges being filed.’
So far, authorities have not confirmed whether the former doctor will face further professional or legal consequences beyond the termination of his employment.
Austria has strict laws prohibiting Nazi ideology, symbols, and justifications, and the revival of Nazism.
