It was a smashing effect that has so far received little political attention: the healthcare company Vamed, with over 20,000 employees, is being split up and sold to different companies. This was made possible by the withdrawal of the state. There are now concerns about the continued existence of dozens of rehabilitation clinics in Austria.
Vamed not only operates rehabilitation centres, but also holds shares in several thermal baths in Austria (including Therme Wien, Geinberg, St. Martins) and is responsible for the technical management of the Vienna General Hospital. Vamed’s business areas will now be divided between several companies.
Group with billions in turnover
The state holding company ÖBAG sold its 13 percent stake to the German majority shareholder, the listed hospital operator Fresenius. Vamed’s hospital services division accounts for 30 percent of turnover. Vamed recorded a turnover of 2.36 billion euros in 2023, but was in the red. Last year, the operating loss was 16 million euros.
Were rehabilitation clinics sold to “Graustchte”?
The rehabilitation clinics employ a large number of Vamed employees, most of whom were sold to the investment company PAI Partners at the beginning of May. This sale is highly controversial. German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) spoke of “locusts” in connection with PAI’s activities in the German healthcare sector. In 2014, PAI took over one of Europe’s largest nursing home chains in France and sold it just three years later at a high profit to a dubious British investor. Since then, there have been complaints about a massive deterioration in the quality of treatment.
Something similar is also suspected in Austria. There is a justified assumption that the fund only sees this as a profitable operation in the short term, says ÖGK employee chairman Andreas Huss. “This sale makes it clear how unstable the public offer is due to internationally active private investors who are not interested in an offer based on solidarity.”
SPÖ demands a reversal
Burgenland Governor Hans Peter Doskozil (SPÖ) sees a “dangerous undesirable development” and calls on Chancellor Karl Nehammer to intervene. SPÖ leader Andreas Babler agrees, and the Medical Association also criticizes it. “We must learn from the mistakes of other countries. Examples like Great Britain clearly show that privatizations in health care lead to unequal access to health care services and additional costs for patients,” warns SPÖ ombudsman Rudolf Silvan.
The SPÖ Lower Austria is now demanding that the state intervene and take over the locations. “Vamed has three locations in Lower Austria: the mental health rehabilitation clinic in Gars am Kamp, the psychosomatic center Waldviertel and the senior center in St. Corona am Schöpfl.” the public interest and ensuring high-quality health care. “What must not happen under any circumstances is that greed and profit maximization take precedence over the well-being of patients,” says State Control Council member and state party leader Sven Hergovich.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
