ÖGK and employees protest sale of Vamed

2024-08-13 11:25:43

The Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK) and Vamed employees are mobilizing against the planned sale of the Vamed rehabilitation clinic to French financial investor PAI. ÖGK Chairman Andreas Huss told a public works conference in front of Vienna’s Anton Proksch Institute on Tuesday that the worry was that the burden on employees would increase , the cost of services to taxpayers will become higher. Hus called on Austrians to develop a non-profit solution.

Huss criticized the investment fund PAI, which has no interest in health care and hopes to sell again after a few years of profitability. These results can only be achieved by putting pressure on employees or reducing quality. The greater danger, according to the ÖGK chairman, is the provision of unnecessarily more expensive services, as PAI’s investment in German nursing homes shows. “Austria’s taxpayers should finance the profits of French investors,” Hus criticized.

The ÖGK chairman therefore called for a non-profit solution and to keep medical facilities in Austrian hands. Hus envisions facilities with unique selling points, such as the addiction treatment center at the Anton Proksch Institute or the Children’s Rehabilitation Center in Pongau St. Feit, to be taken over by the federal states, social insurance and cantons jointly or by non-profit organizations.

Harald Stier, president of the Wamed trade union, reported to dozens of employees and union representatives that there was great uncertainty in the labor market. There are concerns about layoffs and increased employee stress. If the takeover cannot be blocked, the works council will at least require written guarantees to prevent cost-savings and job losses.

Vamed Group said it did not understand Tuesday’s protest and warned it could have a negative impact on patient care. “The non-profit status of the Anton Proksch Institute remains unchanged,” board member Klaus Schuster said in a statement. PAI’s acquisition of Vamed Rehabilitation, known as a “partner with a proven track record in healthcare,” has been approved by the European Commission and will be implemented as planned.

Domestic hospital operator and healthcare provider Vamed was split into separate companies by majority shareholder Fresenius in the spring. As part of the spin-off, private equity firm PAI will take over more than 67% of Vamed’s rehabilitation business. The remaining 33% still belongs to Fresenius. The business includes 67 facilities, 9,100 beds and approximately 9,500 employees in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom. In Austria, the plan includes 3,500 employees at 21 plants, according to the vida union. These include the Anton Proksch Institute on the outskirts of Vienna, which is 60% owned by Vamed and 40% owned by a foundation.

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