KPJ Healthcare Berhad

KPJ HEALTHCARE REVENUE UP 33 PERCENT TO TOP RM1 BILLION

BERNAMA Online Business - KPJ Healthcare Bhd, the country's largest healthcare provider, announced today a 33 percent increase in revenue to RM1.108 billion for 2007 compared to RM831.5 million the pr

JOHOR BAHARU, May 28 (Bernama)-- KPJ Healthcare Bhd, the country's largest healthcare provider, announced today a 33 percent increase in revenue to RM1.108 billion for 2007 compared to RM831.5 million the previous year.

Chairman Tan Sri Muhammad Ali Hashim said the result was the "most positive achievement in the group's 26-year history".

The group recorded a pre-tax profit of RM85.3 million, up by 42 percent from RM60.1 million in 2006.

Its shareholders fund increased to RM508.8 million, an improvement of 15 per cent from RM442.6 million in 2006.

The group's total asset rose by 9.3 percent to RM1,204.7 million last year from RM1,101.9 million in 2006.

"We are delighted with the results. We believe that this shows our continuous efforts in maintaining prudent management of working capital and making improvements in the business structure," said Muhammad Ali.

He was speaking to reporters after chairing the groups annual general meeting here.

Muhammad Ali said the groups total operating beds had increased from 1,817 to 1,941 last year, evident of a growing demand for private hospital services.

The number of outpatients had also increased from 1.56 million to 1.73 million, he said.

The group introduced the KPJ Al-Aqar REIT (real estate investment trust) in 2006 and in March this year, it injected five more hospitals into the REIT, comprising the Kuantan Specialist Hospital, Perdana Specialist Hospital, Kedah Medical Centre, Sentosa Medical Centre and KPJ Kajang Specialist Hospital with a total asset value of RM170 million.

It is currently managing 18 local hospitals as well as three in Indonesia, two in Jeddah and one in Dhaka. -- BERNAMA