Gmundnerberg and Enns

Uncertain future for two rehabilitation clinics in Upper Austria

Sabine Engleitner-Neu wants answers to her questions about the clinics in Enns and Gmundnerberg next Thursday.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Harald Dostal, MacGreenie)

The Upper Austrian health holding company (OÖG) holds shares in VAMED facilities that are being sold to an investor. Will the state now take over the majority? The SPÖ wants to put this question to the state parliament next Thursday. 

A deal is currently underway in the medical sector that could have a major impact on two well-known clinics in our province. VAMED, founded in 1982 as part of the then still nationalized Voestalpine, operates healthcare facilities. However, the group, which has around 20,000 employees, has recently run into financial turbulence.

This is interesting for our province in that VAMED owns the majority of the rehabilitation clinic in Enns and the neurological therapy center on the Gmundnerberg. Interestingly, the Upper Austrian health holding company, which operates the regional hospitals in Upper Austria, also has a minority stake in the two rehabilitation centers. And this is precisely why the SPÖ is making this deal a topic of discussion at next Thursday's state parliament session.

Party leader Sabine Engleitner-Neu wants to know from Markus Achleitner (ÖVP), the state councillor responsible for state investments, how the partial sale of VAMED to a French investment group will affect the clinics. Another issue to be discussed is the level of capacity utilization at the two facilities. The "Krone" has learned that the Oö. Gesundheitsholding is interested in Enns and Gmunden and may take them over.