The main players on the private health services market registered sales increases of above 30% in the first quarter of this year against the same period of 2008, according to the data centralised by ZF. This is the first industry that announces such a trend in 2009, after most sectors of the economy have been strongly hurt by the economic crisis.
"There are less harmed sectors, and medical services are among them. Primarily, as we're speaking of a low penetration of these services amid some clear intrinsic needs. In terms of needs, the increase should not be particularly surprising," believes Codrut Pascu, managing partner for Romania with Roland Berger consultancy.
The private medical services market, put at over 430m euros this year, up 35% from 2008, includes companies such MedLife, Romar, Centrul Medical Unirea, Gral Medical, Sanador, Medsana. Thus, MedLife posted a 73% turnover increase, to 28m RON (6.8m euros) on the rising customer portfolio. Centrul Medical Unirea (CMU) reported 61% higher turnover, to 14m RON (3.4m euros), while Gral Medical generated turnover worth 8.5m RON (2m euros), up 30% from the 6.5m RON (1.7m euros) level hit in the first quarter of 2008. Sanador clinics reported a 50% surge in revenues and EBITDA and a 35% net income advance. Sanador's first-quarter turnover reached 12m RON (2.9m euros). On the other hand, medium-sized players saw turnover stagnate. Medsana had 1.65m-euro turnover, flat from 2008, while Romar's turnover dropped by 11.6%.
The drug market also escaped the crisis fallout, with Antibiotice Iasi reporting a 18% sales increase and a 43% net income advance, while Biofarm boosted turnover by 11% and income by 5%.
The domestic private medical services market is likely to come to over 430m euros by yearend, around 35% more than in 2008, according to the data PMR Publications research firm provided to ZF. "In this context, Romania will be the most dynamic country of those included in the report," said Monika Stefanczyk, head pharmaceutical market analyst with PMR Ltd.
PMR analysts estimate the domestic market will provide more M&A opportunities in the following period, as well as opportunities for the expansion of private hospitals.
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