Covid-19: Canton of Schwyz tasks Hirslanden with implenting repeat testing

The Swiss government assumes that over half of all Covid-19 transmissions originate from asymptomatic people and so has decided to adopt an expanded testing strategy. Even people without symptoms should thus be tested repeatedly. This offers a further way to reduce the spread of the Covid-19 virus, alongside abiding by hygiene and social distancing rules, contact tracing, and the Covid-19 vaccine.

The approval by the Schwyz governing council followed a two-week pilot phase, in which the process-related, organisational and logistical ramifications were examined. The “TOGETHER WE TEST” IT platform developed by the Hirslanden Group proved to be a helpful tool in this. Hirslanden uses this platform to handle all of the processes involved in repeat testing and arranges all of the necessary deliveries of goods and services for the partner companies involved (laboratory institutes, logistics or material service providers).

As a healthcare provider that operates throughout Switzerland, the Hirslanden Group aims to provide integrated medical care along the entire treatment and advisory chain, known as the continuum of care. Alongside prevention, counselling, therapy and aftercare, this also involves medical diagnostics, which include preventative repeat testing. Daniel Liedtke, CEO of the Hirslanden Group, explains: “We are delighted to once again be able to contribute to overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic with our core competencies. Repeat testing supplements our existing involvement, which includes providing inpatient and intensive medical treatment for Covid-19 patients and establishing and operating Covid-19 vaccination centres on behalf of numerous cantons.”

About Hirslanden

The Hirslanden Group operates 17 hospitals in 10 cantons, many of which have an emergency department. It also operates 4 outpatient surgical units, 17 radiology institutes and 5 radiotherapy institutes. Together with public and private cooperation partners, Hirslanden focuses on the continuum of care and the promoting of high-quality, responsible, personalised and efficiently integrated healthcare. The Group has 2 506 affiliated doctors and 10 417 employees, 498 of whom are permanently employed doctors. Hirslanden is the largest medical network in Switzerland. In the 2019/20 financial year, the Group generated turnover of CHF 1’804 million. As at 31.3.2020, the Group had treated 107’491 patients, amounting to a total of 471’717 inpatient days. In insurance terms, the patient mix consists of 49.2% basic, 29.3% semi-private, and 21.5% private insured patients.

Hirslanden is synonymous with first-class medical care provided by highly qualified medical specialists with many years of experience. As a system provider, the Group stands out from the rest of the market: interdisciplinary medical centres of expertise and specialised institutes enable it to offer the best possible individualised treatment, even in highly complex cases. The Hirslanden Group was formed in 1990 through the merger of several hospitals. Since 2007, it has been part of the international hospital group Mediclinic International plc, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange.