Covid-19: canton of Zurich commissions Hirslanden with implementing 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.

After the canton of Schwyz, Zurich is the second canton to rely on the Hirslanden Group and the “TOGETHER WE TEST” IT-platform it developed to implement repeat testing. As a Swiss national healthcare provider, the Hirslanden Group offers integrated healthcare along the entire life course, the so-called continuum of care. Alongside prevention, counselling, therapy and after-care, this also involves medical diagnostics, which include preventative repeat testing.

With repeat testing, Hirslanden is expanding its existing commitment to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, which already includes the inpatient and intensive care treatment of affected Covid-19 patients, as well as the establishment and operation of Covid-19 vaccination centres on behalf of several cantons. Daniel Liedtke, CEO of the Hirslanden Group, explains: “In the canton of Zurich, the Hirslanden Group is allowed to offer all three pillars of its commitment to combating the Covid-19 pandemic. We treat Covid-19 patients in our Hirslanden and Im Park hospitals, and we operate the largest Covid19 vaccination centre in the canton at the exhibition centre Messe Oerlikon. I am very pleased that Hirslanden can now also support repeat testing in the canton of Zurich."  

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.