Healthcare Obwalden cantonal hospital to become part of the Luks Group
Obwalden Cantonal Hospital is to become part of Lucerne Cantonal Hospital AG (Luks). The Obwalden cantonal council therefore wants to transform the hospital into a public limited company in which the Luks Group will have a 60 percent majority.
05.07.2024, 08:48
05.07.2024, 09:55
SDA
It has submitted a corresponding draft of the new hospital law for consultation, the government council announced on Friday. A joint solution with the Luks Group is necessary in order to secure the Sarnen hospital site in the long term.
The planned Spital Obwalden AG will be a pure operating company, as can be seen from the press release. The canton will hold a minority stake of 40 percent. The cantonal hospital is currently organized as a dependent public-law institution.
Implemented by 2028
The government council's plan is to establish Spital Obwalden AG on January 1, 2026. The sale of the shares to the Luks Group is to be completed by January 1, 2028 at the latest.
The hospital building in Sarnen is to be transferred to an independent real estate company. This will be wholly owned by the canton of Obwalden.
Obwalden will also be able to control the hospital politically with the affiliation to the Luks Group and the new legal form, explained the cantonal government in its press release. The cantonal government can exercise the canton's shareholder rights and the cantonal council can approve the contributions to compensate for public services. The annual reports would also be submitted to parliament. The rights of the canton as a minority shareholder would be regulated in separate contracts.
Discuss services separately
The services provided by the hospital in Sarnen will remain unchanged until at least 2028. The implementation of the alliance is about quality assurance and organization, the cantonal government announced. The question of services is to be discussed independently of this.
The Luks Group, Obwalden Cantonal Hospital and the Obwalden cantonal government announced a declaration of intent for a hospital network in May 2023. In addition to the canton of Lucerne, Nidwalden, whose hospital has been part of the Luks Group since 2021, is also involved.
Obwalden Cantonal Hospital has been struggling with problems for years and has already entered into a collaboration with the Luks Group. However, in the opinion of the hospital managers, this is no longer sufficient.
"Rapid medical progress"
The press release cites "rapid medical progress, increasing price and cost pressure, the shortage of specialists and quality requirements" as reasons for a more extensive alliance.
Obwalden Cantonal Hospital has 66 beds and 500 employees. The Luks Group hospitals have 860 acute beds and over 8000 employees. The Luks Group includes the Lucerne Cantonal Hospital with its sites in Lucerne, Sursee and Wolhusen as well as the Nidwalden Hospital and other companies.
