Virgilbus - Barrier-free medical care for the medically uninsured in Salzburg

I recently found out about the Virgilbus in Salzburg and thought that it was worth sharing.

There are around 27,000 people in Austria who have no medical insurance (and no eCard) meaning that they are unable to access basic medical care. Furthermore, there are those who might be unwilling or unable to attend a formal medical practice for whatever reason such as embarrassment, drug addiction or homelessness.

In short, the Virgilbus is a converted ambulance operating in Salzburg which drives every Sunday evening from 7pm on a fixed route to 3 or 4 destinations to provide free healthcare to people without health insurance such as the homeless.

It was launched in November 2014, is staffed by volunteer doctors and paramedics, and has treated thousands of people for a range of generally acute conditions. Often, no doubt, the treatments might be relatively cheap, but might prevent conditions turning chronic and necessitating expensive stays in hospital.

Virgilambulanz

In June 2024 a full-time outpatient clinic will open staffed by a doctor, a nurse and an assistant. This will initially operate in parallel with the Virgilbus, but depending on demand the bus may later be put into retirement.

The outpatient clinic is modelled on existing practices in Graz, Vienna and Innsbruck.

Outpatient clinics for the medically uninsured around Austria

• Styria: Graz: Marienambulanz: https://www.caritas-steiermark.at/en/caritas-guide-steiermark/marienambulanz

• Tirol: Innsbruck: https://www.caritas-tirol.at/hilfe-angebote/menschen-in-not/medcare-medizinische-basisversorgung

• Vienna (23. Bezirk): AmberMed: https://amber-med.at

• Vienna (2. Bezirk): Krankenhaus der Barmherzigen Brüder Wien: https://www.barmherzige-brueder.at/portal/wien/patientenbesucher

• Vienna (5. Bezirk): Neunerhaus-Gesundheitszentrum in Wien-Margareten: https://www.neunerhaus.at/gesundheit

Sources and further information

The Virgilbus, Salzburg

I'd never heard of this before. It's certainly a very good thing. I haven't found a webpage for it but I have found these newspaper articles from 2021 and 2019 (your browser will translate them for you):

• https://www.meinbezirk.at/salzburg-stadt/c-lokales/die-arztpraxis-auf-vier-raedern-versorgt-obdachlose-und-nicht-versicherte-menschen_a3769086

• https://salzburg.orf.at/stories/3024162/

• https://www.meinekirchenzeitung.at/salzburg-tiroler-teil-rupertusblatt/c-gesellschaft-soziales/immer-sonntags-der-naechste-bitte_a25695

The Virgil Ambulanz, Salzburg - launching June 2024

• https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000199468/in-der-virgilambulanz-werden-nichtversicherte-in-salzburg-kuenftig-behandelt

With thanks to David Goldman