Inauguration of new clinic for treatment of obesity and metabolic disorders in the Czech Republic

Global Health Partner has inaugurated its own clinic for the treatment of obesity and metabolic disorders in Prague and the first obesity operations have been performed. The Czech Republic has a well insured population where patient flows are directed to clinics with strong medical results. “The Czech Republic is one of the markets that we have identified as interesting. We have worked in rented premises for approximately six months now and are very happy to have our own clinic completed,” says Per Båtelson, Global Health Partner’s CEO.

The Czech Republic is one of the markets that Global Health Partner has identified as interesting, based on the health care system, the potential for profitability and size. The business has been built up together with Professor Martin Fried, one of the Czech Republic’s most influential surgeons and also well known internationally within obesity and metabolic surgery. During completion of the company’s own clinic, business was started in temporary premises in December 2009, in order to be able to build up a flow of patients. IFSO (the International Federation of the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders) has already approved the new clinic as a European Center of Excellence for obesity surgery. Johnson&Johnson has approved the clinic as a Center of Excellence for the training and education of personnel within obesity surgery and metabolic diseases. According to WHO the prevalence of obesity is 17% in the Czech Republic, which is higher than the level in Sweden (approx. 12.5%). The number of obesity operations in the Czech Republic has risen rapidly over the past years and is now estimated to amount to more than 1,000 per year. The number of operations in Sweden, which has about the same number of inhabitants, exceeds 5,000 per year. The need in both countries is considerably greater than that. The prevalence of obesity is increasing epidemically in the western world. WHO estimates that close to 150 million people will suffer from obesity in Europe by 2010. These people usually develop different kinds of secondary diseases such as diabetes type II, hypertension and infertility. Both the excessive weight as well as the co-morbidities cause great patient suffering and high health care spending. Studies show that the only successful treatment for obesity is surgery. Global Health Partner already has clinics for the treatment of obesity in Stockholm, Lund, Bergen, Birmingham, Cairo and Helsinki, and one is being started up in Ajman (the United Arab Emirates). The clinics are run under the name of Bariatric Centers within Service Line Bariatrics. 19 May 2010 Gothenburg, Sweden Global Health Partner AB (publ)