Medicare: Several private hospital projects postponed

Medicare Technics, operating on the medical equipment market, generated 3.4m-euro turnover in the first half of this year, up 24% from a year ago. The company also stepped into the black, after having posted small losses in the first six months of last year. Medicare will shift to delivering medical equipment to private hospitals in the following years, after having so far focused on equipping clinics. However, projects to equip private hospitals have been delayed and will be resumed in 2010-2011, according to the company’s representatives. “We held talks for five projects, but they were all halted. From what clients told us, projects related to private hospitals may be resumed in late 2010-early 2011, depending on what the crisis brings,” says Alin Patrascu, Medicare CEO. So far, companies like MedLife, Sanador, Medsana or Medicover have voiced their intention to build private hospitals, but their shareholders have not specified the date construction works will start at, according to the available information. In the first six months, Medicare finalised three turnkey projects and is now in talks to finish another 10 projects, of which 8 may be finalised by yearend. Medicare last year generated turnover worth 15.2m euros and this year expects turnover to reach 17 million euros. Over 75% of the company’s turnover comes from the segment of imaging equipment and turnkey clinics.