Netcare's profit improved thanks to higher hospital occupancy levels in recent months and lower spending on Covid-19 personal protective equipment.
Subscribers can listen to this articleFor the six months to end-March, Netcare reported a 2% increase in revenue to R10.3 billion, with adjusted headline profit per share rising 29%. The company reported an interim dividend per share 20c.
Hospital occupancies in December and early January were hit during the fourth Covid wave. However, after the wave subsided and schools opened, there was a steady ramp-up in activity in both medical and surgical cases. Over the half-year period, occupancy levels in acute hospitals increased to 55.5%, from 53.8% in the previous year – while occupancy in February and March reached 62.4%. At its mental health facilities, average occupancy across February and March 2022 climbed to 78.8%.
"The new Omicron sub-variants that have recently emerged are currently driving an increase in Covid-19 positive cases in South Africa. While the impact of these sub-variants appears to be mild thus far, reflected in relatively low hospitalisation and lower mortality, it may weigh on patient sentiment and could affect activity in the short term."
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