Medical Center Saanen-Gstaad will be housed in the former Saanen hospital building, which closed its doors in 2012. Normally, the walk-in clinic will open its doors Monday to Friday from 8 am to 8 pm. To establish fixed operating hours beyond these, such as evening and weekend service, nearly CHF 600,000 private financing must be secured annually. However as proof of their engagement in the region, clinic director Dr Daniel Flach says they will provide services every day including weekends and holidays

For after-hours care, the injured or ill will have to make the 20-minute trek to nearby Zweisimmen Hospital.

Rumour has it that the municipality of Saanen has already decided to finance the extra cost of weekend service, however city councilwoman Vreni Müllener has stated that a decision hasn't yet been taken.

The HMO-style clinic will be just one of the jewels in Localmed’s crown. Partially owned at 50% by the university hospital Inselspital in Bern, Localmed has three successful medical centres already in operation in Bern and Biel, and will open a total of three more in La Neuveville, Saanen, and Köniz by 2016.

Due to the narrow launch timeframe, one of the first orders of business is on-site renovation.  Localmed will finance the superficial changes, including those to the waiting room and bathroom, while the municipality—as landlord—will foot the cost of lift repair and updates to the entrance of the facility.

For many years there was both a selection of primary care physicians and a local hospital in the Saanenland. In operation for more than 100 years, Saanen Hospital served not only as an institution which provided necessary medical care without leaving the community, but also had a calming effect on the local population. 

With any luck, Medical Center Saanen-Gstaad will from this winter onward provide the health care—and peace of mind—that has been missing in the region for so long.