From March 5 to 7, a delegation from the Austrian Association of Private Hospitals campaigned for the relevance of private hospitals for healthcare systems and addressed issues such as specialist staff and securing funding. We had the opportunity to gain an insight into European healthcare policy in Brussels and talk to representatives of the EU institutions. A particular highlight was our exchange with MEP Lukas MANDL, where we talked about his work and the importance of cross-border engagement. As private providers are part of national healthcare systems, it is of utmost importance to ensure a fair and transparent environment for all players in the healthcare sector. We then visited the European Parliament, where we learned more about the history and structure of the European Union. With Vinzent Rest, Attaché for Public Health, we discussed current health issues, ongoing projects at European level and the need for more Europe in the health sector at the Permanent Representation of Austria to the EU. Finally, we visited the office of the UEHP, the European Union of Private Hospitals, where Managing Director Ilaria Giannico informed us about current developments and activities within the association.
A big thank you to everyone involved for the exciting discussions and valuable insights!
Photo credit: Austrian Association of Private Hospitals
