Aier Eye Hospital Group Acquires ISEC Healthcare to Expand Ophthalmic Surgery Business in Southeast Asia

On September 3, 2019, VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned from foreign media reports that Aier Eye Hospital Group announced the acquisition of ophthalmic care provider ISEC Healthcare for $48.3 million.

ISEC Healthcare is an ophthalmic medical and care service provider, currently operating outpatient clinics and surgical centers in Malaysia and Singapore. The group’s shareholders are predominantly professional ophthalmologists, and it primarily treats patients with cataracts, vitreoretinal diseases, corneal and external eye diseases, glaucoma, uveitis, and strabismus. ISEC Healthcare’s surgical centers perform refractive surgeries such as LASIK, oculoplastic procedures, and pediatric ophthalmic surgeries.

ISEC Healthcare’s ophthalmologists frequently collaborate with medical schools at renowned universities in Malaysia to provide professional ophthalmic medical and nursing services to patients. The group’s specialists have previously served at prestigious eye centers in Singapore, India, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States, accumulating extensive clinical experience. ISEC Healthcare states that its specialists have participated in ophthalmic drug research and clinical trials for pharmaceutical companies, establishing themselves as key opinion leaders in the field of ophthalmology and wielding significant influence in international eye care.

Dr. Fang Shengkang, one of the founders of ISEC Healthcare, is an expert in ophthalmology and currently serves as Chairman of the Group’s Medical Committee and Consultant Ophthalmologist. Additionally, Dr. Fang is the current President of the Malaysian Society of Ophthalmology (MSO).

The Li Hongming Eye Centre at Gleneagles in the UK, established by ISEC Healthcare, is led by ophthalmology specialist Dr. Li Hongming. Dr. Li is a renowned expert in cataract treatment, with particular expertise in corneal transplantation and refractive surgery.

ISEC Healthcare Opens ISEC KL Clinic and Surgical Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Spanning approximately 23,000 square feet, the centre features 15 consultation rooms and four operating theatres. Equipped with state-of-the-art ophthalmic treatment devices, ISEC KL has established an electronic medical record (EMR) and healthcare data documentation system. The centre employs 12 full-time ophthalmologists and two ophthalmic consultant advisors, providing services such as consultations for eye diseases, ophthalmic diagnostics, and general anesthesia.

As early as 2013, ISEC KL had performed more than 5,000 major ophthalmic surgeries, serving over 70,000 patients. The center is the first eye care center in Southeast Asia to receive Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation. JCI, composed of international experts in medicine, nursing, administration, and public policy, is the subsidiary body of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) responsible for accrediting healthcare institutions outside the United States.

Aier Eye Hospital, established in 2003 and headquartered in Hunan, China, is a globally chained listed medical institution. The institution is committed to improving patients' vision and enhancing their quality of life. As of 2019, Aier Eye Hospital had established more than 300 specialized eye hospitals across 30 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in mainland China, and operated over 80 eye hospitals in the United States, Europe, and Hong Kong, China.

(Compiled by Xu Xiaoxue)