Whether it’s the long-ignored problem of the nursing staff shortage, better use of budget funds in the area of 24-hour care, or the issue of costs in patient transport and emergency services, the Order of Malta and its relief organisations are reliable and politically independent partners in developing concrete solutions. During the visit to Austria by the Grand Master of the Order of Malta, Fra’ John T. Dunlap, end of November 2025, H.E. Ambassador Sebastian Prince of Schoenaich-Carolath organised Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen to accept the invitation to visit the \u2018MALTESER Ordenshaus\u2019 care home together with his wife, Mag. Doris Schmidauer, in order to learn first-hand about the current challenges in inpatient and mobile care. During the Grand Master’s subsequent visit to Mayor Dr. Michael Ludwig, necessary steps in the area of healthcare in the city of Vienna were discussed.<\/b><\/p>\n
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Accompanied by representatives of the MALTESER Ordenshaus team and in dialogue with the management of MALTESER Care, the mobile care service unit of the Order of Malta in Austria, the Federal President and the First Lady gained a comprehensive insight into everyday nursing care and innovative concepts for the care of the elderly and people in need of care at the end of November. In discussions with members of the management team, as well as with nursing staff, residents and volunteers, the importance of solving the current problems in the care sector, which have been known for many years, was conveyed. Issues such as staffing requirements, increasing care and nursing demands, the importance of modern training and the expansion of mobile services \u2013 especially 24-hour care \u2013 are of great significance in this context. In view of the City of Vienna’s plans to implement savings of \u20ac500 million in the health and care sector in the future, the social relevance of the issue is clear.<\/p>\n
Grand Master Fra’ John T. Dunlap emphasised the Order of Malta’s centuries-long commitment to helping people in need of care and support: \u2018We operate a large number of care facilities and hospitals worldwide. Here in Vienna, we were able to present a showcase project of the Order and make it clear that, especially in rapidly ageing societies, care becomes a question of human dignity.\u2019<\/p>\n
Following the joint visit, Grand Master Fra’ John T. Dunlap met with the Mayor of Vienna, Dr Michael Ludwig, at City Hall. The Grand Master expressly thanked the City of Vienna for its long-standing and trusting cooperation in the field of care with the \u2018Fonds Soziales Wien\u2019 (Vienna Social Fund), as well as in the field of rescue and ambulance services, in which the MALTESER Hospitaldienst Austria is a reliable partner within the framework of \u20184 f\u00fcr Wien\u2019 (4 for Vienna). He emphasised that, especially in times of tight budgets, the optimal use of resources is of central importance and that the proposals developed by the Order of Malta’s relief organisations aim to ensure that necessary services for the sick, the elderly and people with disabilities \u2013 and thus the most vulnerable members of society \u2013 remain widely accessible.<\/p>\n
The discussions underscored the close ties between the Order of Malta and the Republic of Austria and the City of Vienna, which are based on the common goal of providing the best possible support to people in need.<\/p>\n
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