Talks underway

State wants to buy Sonnberghof and ambulance

The province is endeavoring to take over the health center in Bad Sauerbrunn and the outpatient clinic in Eisenstadt from the French.

(Bild: Reinhard Judt)

Away from the provincial party conference of the SPÖ, Hans Peter Doskozil was already working on the implementation of the next plans. He announced that the province of Burgenland wanted to buy the health center in Bad Sauerbrunn with 300 spa beds and the outpatient clinic in Eisenstadt from the French group PAI after the Vamed deal. Talks are already underway.

The controversial demerger of Austria's largest healthcare group, Vamed AG, only took place two weeks ago. Originally, the majority of 21 rehabilitation centers with 3500 employees were to be transferred to the French private equity fund PAI Partners. Apart from a few special cases, PAI now holds 70 percent of the rehab business, while 30 percent remains with the former German majority owner Fresenius.

Taking over certain shares
Governor Hans Peter Doskozil spoke out against the "sell-off of health and care" shortly after the far-reaching company plans became known. "Private investors are primarily concerned with profit," was one of his objections. Doskozil had already hinted in the summer that Burgenland wanted to take over certain Vamed shares. "Six percent of the return that accrues to shareholders each year would directly benefit patients," the governor had remarked.

Sale of Vamed shares has far-reaching consequences.

(Bild: TANJA UNGERBÖCK)

Health as the top priority
The current group of companies, which manages the former Vamed Health Facility Operations division independently, emphasizes that the health and well-being of patients is always the top priority. It will invest and strive for "innovative solutions" for patient care, it says. The company has a total of 60 facilities and 13,000 employees.

Doskozil now wants to intervene directly. "Unfortunately, the Vamed sale of the health, spa and rehabilitation center in Bad Sauerbrunn and the outpatient clinic in Eisenstadt with more than 250 employees could not be prevented because the state lacked the legal means to do so," regrets SPÖ parliamentary group chairman Roland Fürst.

Talks already underway
However, initial talks with the French group about a possible purchase are already in full swing. "We want the healthcare infrastructure to remain in Burgenland's hands in the interests of the population. We are true to our word and will do everything we can to make the deal a success," says Fürst.