Wiener addiction clinic remains private: Vamed deal with Pai Partners sealed

Wiener addiction clinic remains private: Vamed deal with Pai Partners sealed

The Anton-Proksch Institute in Liesing, a well-known facility for the treatment of addiction, is facing significant change. The last hopes for a takeover by the Anton-Proksch Institute Foundation, which is also supported by the City of Vienna, now seem to be premature. The French private equity giant Pai Partners is expected to be awarded the contract and thus take the addiction clinic under its wing.

The sale is imminent after the foundation did not use its right of access. This enables Pai Partners to acquire the institute, which many critics worried. The official announcement of the foundation says that it will continue her partnership with the VAMED under a changed ownership structure. Financial security has priority, especially after the extensive investment of around 46 million euros in the new construction of the facility.

Financial security instead of public control

The foundation pointed out in its explanation that the adaptation of the owners' structure should not have an impact on the quality of the treatment of patients. Technically trained personnel will continue to work in the Anton-Proksch Institute, and a commitment to non-profit and fair working conditions will be observed. However, critics like Judith Pühringer from the Greens express concern about the withdrawal of the city of a takeover. She described the decision as extremely irresponsible because an important part of public health care is at stake.

The deal between VAMED and PAI Partners is controversial, since private equity companies are often criticized to make facilities at short notice for profit maximization without making long-term investments in the quality of the health offer. This type of financing approaches receives the nickname "hay bar", which indicates fear that such companies want to sell again after a short time.

political tensions and resistance

The political landscape around this process remains tense. The Greens announced that they are vehemently protested against the sale of a public health facility to private investors. Already at the last meeting of the foundation, just one day before the expiry of the right of access, the decision was made not to intervene, which met with criticism in the ranks of the political opposition. Many ask the question of whether the city of Vienna could not have raised the financial means to take the clinic in its own hands.

summarized that the Anton-Proksch-Institut could in future be under the influence of Pai Partners, a society that has not always emerged in the past by sustainable investments in healthcare. Whether the foundation can finish the takeover remains uncertain, and the pressure on the city of Vienna grows to take a position to a deal that could result in fundamental changes in patient care. Further information can be found at www.meinbezirk.at .