Acquire shares

Doskozil puts pressure on: “No Vamed sale!”

Burgenland should take over certain Vamed shares.(Bild: JAKOB LANGWIESER)

Instead of leaving the healthcare system to profit-oriented financial jugglers, the state now wants to acquire shares. The aim is to stop the "sell-out of healthcare".

Austria's largest healthcare group, Vamed AG, is splitting up. As reported, a majority stake in 21 rehabilitation centers with 3500 employees is to go to the French private equity fund PAI Partners. Governor Hans Peter Doskozil is opposed to the "sell-off of health and care": "Private investors are primarily concerned with profit." If Doskozil has his way, Burgenland should take over certain Vamed shares.

Do not jeopardize value creation
"Six percent of the return that accrues to shareholders each year would directly benefit patients," explains Doskozil. Roland Fürst, chairman of the SPÖ parliamentary group, and Thomas Hoffmann, SPÖ chairman of the district of Mattersburg, are concerned about the nursing and healthcare facility in Bad Sauerbrunn. There, 250 Vamed jobs and 300 spa beds are affected. The aim is not to jeopardize regional value creation.

Doskozil, Hoffmann and Fürst (from left to right) agree with trade unionist Mjka and Group Works Council Chairman Steer: "The sell-off of healthcare must be stopped."(Bild: Büro Doskozil)

Care in public hands
"We don't want local healthcare services to become the plaything of French financial interests," say Fürst and Hoffmann. They refer to a controversial case. Just a few months ago, 52 people in need of care in the district of Mattersburg found themselves on the street from one day to the next because their home had to file for insolvency. "The entire care and health sector belongs in public hands," emphasize the SPÖ politicians.

Ready for talks
The province of Burgenland has received full support from Vamed works councils, who see the planned sale of the rehabilitation centers to a "locust fund" as a "failure of the federal government and the health insurance companies". "Doskozil is the only provincial governor who has the right perspective on this important issue," said Gerald Mjka, deputy chairman of the vida trade union and chairman of the health department, and Harald Steer, chairman of the Vamed group works council, leaving no room for doubt. Doskozil: "The province is ready for talks about the shares."