Two state-of-the-art hospitals specialising in private oncology treatment will be operative within the next 18 months, boosting Mauritius' plans to be a regional medical health hub, Groupe Filatex has announced.
Groupe Filatex's strategic stake in the US$50m project is its first investment in healthcare, as the Group, a leading African energy company headquartered in Madagascar, continues to implement its expansion plans across the continent. The investment, in PolyClinique De L'Ouest Ltee (PDL), will equip Mauritius with two new state-of-the-art hospitals specialised in private oncology treatment, namely the St Helene Clinic and Coromandel Hospital.
This project is in partnership with two large African real estate funds: GRIT, an investment company listed on the London Stock Exchange and Gateway Real Estate fund (GREA) which focuses primarily on development assets in Africa. The total construction cost of the project is expected to be in the range of US$ 50m. Groupe Filatex's investment in PDL will operate the hospitals, leasing the buildings from GRIT and GREA.
PDL is promoted by Dr Zouberr Joomaye, a well-established, leading professional in the health care space in Mauritius. GRIT and GREA will lead the construction of the two hospitals together with PDL. The hospitals will provide a total of 230 new beds primarily focusing on oncology treatment and will be run and operated by a well-established Indian Health Care Group, Artemis Medicare Services Ltd (Artemis), held by the Apollo Tyres Group in India.
Hasnaine Yavarhoussen, Chief Executive Officer of Groupe Filatex, said:
"Together with Dr Joomaye, GRIT and Gateway, we aim to make Mauritius a regional medical hub – allowing the treatment of cancer to be done privately at world class level utilising the latest technologies at two brand new state-of-the-art hospitals.
"Despite great improvements in the treatment of cancer in the past couple of decades, the need to expand cancer care in Africa remains pressing. In line with our vision to support Africa's sustainable development, our participation in the 230-bed oncology treatment project in Mauritius represents Groupe Filatex's initial investment in the healthcare sector.
"We are proud to be contributing to improved healthcare facilities in Africa and have ambitious plans to grow and invest in the healthcare space across the continent."
Construction in Mauritius is expected to commence on the 4th week of April 2021 and the hospitals are expected to be operational within a maximum period of 18 months.
Currently, there is only one radiotherapy and oncology centre in Mauritius, and no private state-of-the-art facilities related to cancer treatments. In 2019, cancer was the third biggest cause of mortality in Mauritius, representing around 14% of deaths. Moreover, the Mauritius National Cancer Registry has recorded a rising incidence of cancer among both males and females.
Groupe Filatex is proud to be part of a wider effort to offer world-class health facilities across African countries, notably Indian Ocean nations such as Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles. As African nations are working towards achieving universal health coverage, provision of cancer care needs to be an integral part of strengthening the healthcare sector.
Over the last two decades, cancer cases have doubled in Africa, according to the World Health Organization, and the disparity gap in cancer treatment between high and low income countries has widened.