Capio criticises closure of Polyclinique Marzet

5/7/2003 11:59 AM EST

Capio is criticising the decision of the Regional Hospital
Administration (Agence Regionale d'Hospitalisation-ARH) to partially
close the Group's Polyclinique Marzet unit. The closure was ordered
jointly by the French Health Ministry and ARH on April 18, which
resulted in the abrupt relocation of 135 patients. The French
authorities have still not provided any sufficiently clear reason for
the partial closure of the unit. Nor have they fully specified what
measures must be taken by Polyclinique Marzet and by the staff at the
clinic, who are self-employed and not Capio employees.

Following an inspection, the French Health Ministry and ARH criticised
the physicians' handling of patients. This led to the termination of all
surgical and nursing care relating to the inpatients at the clinic with
effect from April 18. The authorities undertook to provide detailed
information within a short time and to specify the measures that must be
taken before the clinic is reopened. No information was provided until
May 2, when a preliminary report was received, which was supplemented on
May 6 by further information, which referred to a number of fatalities.
No specific information about the deaths was communicated, which has
made it impossible for the clinic to implement the appropriate measures.
Capio does not have access to the physicians' case records, since the
doctors are all self-employed and not employed by the clinic. This means
that Capio does not have access to the information necessary to take any
action.

Paul Hökfelt, Senior Vice President and Head of Capio Healthcare France,
comments:

"It is now time for everyone concerned to accept their responsibility.
As long as ARH is not providing us with the requisite and complete
information, we have no chance of reopening the clinic. We are
considering the possibility of demanding compensation from the parties
concerned. We are hoping for a positive and swift solution that will
enable us to reopen Polyclinique Marzet in the near future."

Polyclinique Marzet has annual revenues of about EUR 15 M. Operations
include surgery, oncology and medical treatment, but the clinic also has
an outpatient care department and radiology facilities. The clinic has
240 employees. The operations have been included in the Capio Group
since November 2002.

Gothenburg May 7, 2003
Capio AB (publ)

For further information
Paul Hökfelt, Senior Vice President, Head of Capio Healthcare France
+33 688 05 91 60
Marie Wickman, Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, Capio AB
+46 702 070 874
Catherine Gros, Press Relations Officer, Capio Healthcare France
+33 689 87 61 64
Ulrika Stenson, Vice President, Corporate Communications, Capio AB
+46 705 900 723