ZF: Euroclinic private hospital seeks to treat 20,000 patients

The first private hospital in Romania, Euroclinic Bucharest, wants to attain turnover worth 5 million euros and treat 20,000 patients this year.

"We got beyond the threshold of 10,000 unique patients we treated in the hospital (at the end of last year i.e.). We expect the number of patients to double in 2007. We have a highly aggressive development plan and we could reach 50,000 patients in the next five years," Catalin Andrew Popa, chief operations officer with Euroclinic, told ZF. Euroclinic was opened in 2005 in Romania in the wake of investments worth above 10 million euros and is controlled by Medisystem Hospital, a company owned by Medisystem Romania and doctors of the hospital (10%).

Medical service company Medisystem is part of Eureko group, which also controls Interamerican insurance company. "We've learnt something positive in the Euroclinic hospital and we see the future of medicine in private investments in Romania. This is still in its very early stages, but I expect a boom in the following years, together with the private health insurance package. We are assessing the market constantly, to decide on the best time to get involved and take the second step. This is not too far away," says Catalin Andrew Popa. Less than two years after the hospital was launched, people outside Romania also resorted to its services.

"Most were on the obstetrics-gynaecology segment and demand was related to fertilisation in vitro. There were several cases, but we cannot speak of medical travel to Euroclinic hospital of Bucharest. However, we received a lot of e-mails asking us about some services we provide within the hospital. People are interested," says Euroclinic representative.

Euroclinic, which works with Interamerican insurance firm, hired an insurance specialist in the hospital to manage relationships with the patients not holding insurance policies with Interamerican, says Catalin Popa.

In Romania, obstetrics-gynaecology services weigh around 35% of Euroclinic portfolio, general surgery services account for 15%, orthopaedics 10% and ORL around 10%.

The company currently works with 70 nurses, with their number set to rise to over 90 at the end of the first quarter of this year. Catalin Popa says the selection process takes a long time to complete, considering nurses "make up the most important group in the institution".

As regards physicians, Euroclinic works with 20 specialists, all of whom full-time employees. "Our selection was such as to have most of specialities covered.

In terms of collaborators, there are around 230 persons. The total number of collaborators who have a contract with us revolves around 350", says Popa.

The Euroclinic hospital was built on the basis of a public-private partnership with Bucharest City Hall.

Source: zf.ro