LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Optegra (http://www.optegra.com/) announces today that it has opened its first specialist eye hospital (http://www.optegra.com/our-hospital) in Asia, with the acquisition of New Vision Eye Clinic in China.
Already owning 24 hospitals, six of which are in the UK, this launch is the first outside Europe. With 2.8 billion eyes in China, Optegra and New Vision Eye Clinic are working together to deliver their promise to be “the world’s most trusted choice for eye care”.
The New Vision Eye Clinic deals with around 25,000 patient visits a year across all departments. In total, it has performed over 100,000 surgeries since opening in 1996 as Ruijin Hospital Eye Center. The hospital is a purpose built clinic in the heart of Shanghai’s downtown, over 3,000 square meters in size, and containing three surgical suites, 15 consultation rooms and over 10 examination rooms.
The hospital is within easy reach of cities such as Hangzhou in Zhejiang and Nanjing in Jiangsu, and these two provinces have a combined population of 133 million people.
In total, across three locations there are 92 staff, including a surgical centre in the heart of downtown, one satellite clinic in the inner suburbs and an optical store in the financial district. A fourth location will be opening in the affluent Western suburbs of Shanghai this summer.
Dr. Michael Gu, Managing Director at New Vision Eye Clinic, said: “Because of our broad service offering and also payment options, our patients come from a wide variety of socio-economic groups and ages.
“We see a large number of self-paying patients, as well as privately insured patients and patients covered by government social insurance (Shanghai HealthCare Insurance). Whereas in the UK there is a very clear divide between NHS and private hospitals, in Shanghai the mix is slightly different.”
The vast range of treatment at New Vision Eye Clinic appeals to a diverse range of the Shanghai community.
Dr Gu continues: “The treatments that we offer tend to appeal to very distinct age groups too. For example, our typical patients range from eight to 16 years for orthokeratology, through early and mid-20s refractive surgery patients, middle aged refractive lens exchange patients and senior cataract surgery patients. We aim to be a family eye doctor and appeal to each and every person who has some kind of need for eye care.”
Within the Chinese healthcare market support from central and local government has undergone a period of change, now opening up to private investment in recent years – where previously it was not wholly open to private foreign investors. As a result patients can now exercise more choice when it comes to choosing their healthcare provider.
This provides a great opportunity for Optegra to offer exceptional standards of patient service and excellent clinical care to those who choose us as their eye care provider.
Key treatments offered at New Vision Eye Clinic are:
· o Laser refractive surgery (LASIK/LASEK) (http://www.optegra.com/vision-correction/laser-eye-surgery/what-is-laser-eye-surgery)
· o Refractive Lens Exchange/Presbyopia surgery (http://www.optegra.com/lens-replacement-surgery)
· o Cataract surgery (http://www.optegra.com/eye-conditions-and-treatments/cataract)
· o Orthokeratology (OK Lenses)
As a comprehensive eye hospital services also include:
· o Glasses prescription and fitting
· o Optical store
· o Paediatric strabismus and amblyopia
· o Contact lens prescription and fitting
· o Common eye disease and vision treatment
· o Glaucoma treatment
· o Retina disease treatment
· o Ocular plastic surgery
· o International medical insurance direct billing
· o In-patient wards
The Shanghai hospital is currently manned by 16 full time doctors, including eight surgeons and supporting optometrists and ophthalmologists.
Chief Medical Officer, Professor Lian Jingcai, has performed almost 100,000 surgical procedures, including femtosecond laser refractive surgery, cataract surgery, refractive lens exchange and ICL surgeries. He has published over 30 journal articles and is a council member of the Laser Medicine of Chinese Medical Association and the Shanghai Laser Medicine Association.
John Behrendt, CEO of Moonray Healthcare, which owns Optegra, said: “Shanghai has the largest population of any city in the world, estimated at around 24 million people. That’s roughly the same as the total number of men in England (26 million), and so it is a significant business opportunity for Optegra in a large and growing market.
“We are able to bring the Optegra model to an already successful business which is so well matched, as we both share a passion for delivering the best possible eye care services to our patients.
“China’s private healthcare market is expanding rapidly, with central government encouraging private investment in healthcare to increase overall quality and choice of medical services and also to ease pressure on government hospitals. By combining Optegra’s international know-how and New Vision Eye Clinic’s local expertise as one of the leading ophthalmic clinics in the East China region we can work together to bring better quality patient care to those who need it.”
Note to editors
Optegra is a specialist provider of ophthalmic services in the UK, China, Czech Republic, Poland and Germany. Optegra operates 24 eye hospitals and brings together leading edge research and medical expertise, state-of-the-art surgical equipment and top ophthalmic surgeons renowned for their areas of expertise to offer the best clinical outcomes in laser vision correction, Clarivu (refractive lens exchange), cataract removal, AMD, vitreoretinal and oculoplastics procedures all carried out in 5-star patient facilities.
Clarivu is the Optegra brand name for its individually tailored, consultant-led vision correction (or Refractive Lens Exchange – RLE) package. The package includes all diagnostic eye assessments, an advanced technology intraocular lens (IOL) specially selected for the lifestyle and visual goals of the patient, the procedure undertaken in an Optegra eye hospital and post-operative care. In addition, the Clarivu package includes any further top up laser surgery that may be required in order to meet the stated visual goals of the patient.
Optegra is committed to the development of eye sciences and championing the latest innovations in vision correction through its dedicated Eye Sciences Division. Optegra achieves this by partnering with leading UK universities in the research and development of the next generation of ophthalmic services and technologies.
In addition, its Professional Partnership Programme of education and development with optometrists and opticians ensures the very best medical treatments are available to all.
To maintain Optegra’s five star standard of patient care and safety, its specialist eye hospitals draw on the expertise of its Medical Advisory Committees (MAC), headed by consultant level ophthalmic surgeons who all report into the corporate MAC. This is managed by Medical Director Mr Robert Morris, the renowned refractive expert who determines Optegra’s policies and procedures.
Optegra operates six UK eye hospitals: Optegra Eye Hospital, London; Optegra Surrey Eye Hospital (Guildford); Optegra Birmingham Eye Hospital (Aston); Optegra Yorkshire Eye Hospital (Apperley Bridge and Laser Eye Centre in Leeds City Centre); Optegra Solent Eye Hospital (Whiteley) and Optegra Manchester Eye Hospital, (Didsbury).
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