BETHESDA, Md., June 2 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Chindex International, Inc., a leading independent American provider of Western healthcare services and products in the People's Republic of China and its China-based healthcare services division, United Family Healthcare (UFH), responded to the recent earthquake disaster, by providing medical supplies, personnel, and other in-kind donations.
Roberta Lipson, the Company's Chief Executive Officer expressed condolences to the people affected by this month's catastrophic event: "Our hearts are with all of the people of the southwest region as they begin to recover from the terrible recent disaster. As a healthcare company deeply invested in China, we are blessed to have an opportunity to help at this time of such great need."
On May 14, just less than 2 days after the earthquake struck, UFH made a large delivery of antibiotics to the Huaxi Women's Hospital in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province. According to Mao Meng, the hospital's director, their supplies of antibiotics were in great demand at that time. Huaxi Women's Hospital sent the drugs along with their medical teams to the worst hit areas of the disaster. The same day the company also sent medical supplies including bandages, rehydration salts, hand disinfectant and other needed goods to the affected area on one of the first Red Cross charter flights, which also carried a group of volunteer physicians. Over the following weeks the company sent several more shipments of drugs and supplies in direct response to area hospitals' needs as reported by the company's personnel based in Sichuan who were on the scene.
The UFH personnel who were voluntarily dispatched to the earthquake zone included Dr. Roo Changizi, Chair of the Infection Control Department, who assisted injured victims, while Dr. Rob Blinn, Director of the Family Counseling Center and Dr. Chang Wei, a psychologist in the Family Counseling Center, were sent to Chengdu to provide on-site counseling.
Due to its unique position in the healthcare industry, Chindex was able to obtain a supply list from local hospitals, including the Mianyang Health Bureau, in the hardest hit areas of Sichuan. Through a program of employee donations and company matching funds Chindex and UFH quickly and successfully delivered over RMB 450,000 (USD 65,000) in relief aid to the front lines of the earthquake zone.
As the nation continues to process the impact and heal from this tragedy, Chindex has continued its commitment to support the affected populations. On May 28 and 29, Dr. Blinn and Dr. Chang held the first in a series of seminars in Beijing called "Managing Traumatic Stress after the Earthquake," which aimed to provide advice and support to the Chinese and Western media who have recently returned from or will be working in the disaster area.
Chindex plans to continue its relief and support efforts by sending needed personnel and materials to the earthquake zone and to continue its psychological and counseling work with survivors, relief workers, and the media.
About Chindex International, Inc.
Chindex is an American healthcare company that provides healthcare services and supplies medical capital equipment, instrumentation and products to the Chinese marketplace, including Hong Kong. It provides healthcare services through the operations of its United Family Hospitals and Clinics, a network of private primary care hospitals and affiliated ambulatory clinics in China. The Company's hospital network currently operates in the Beijing and Shanghai metropolitan areas. The Company sells medical products manufactured by various major multinational companies, including Siemens AG and Intuitive Surgical, which are the Company's exclusive distribution partners for the sale and servicing of color doppler ultrasound systems and robotic surgical systems respectively. It also arranges financing packages for the supply of medical products to hospitals in China utilizing the export loan and loan guarantee programs of both the U.S. Export-Import Bank and the German KfW Development Bank. With twenty-six years of experience, over 1,000 employees, operations in mainland China and Hong Kong, offices in the United States and Germany, the Company's strategy is to expand its cross-cultural reach by providing leading edge healthcare technologies, quality products and services to Greater China's professional communities. Further company information may be found at the Company's websites, www.chindex.com and www.unitedfamilyhospitals.com.
Statements made in this press release relating to plans, strategies, objectives, economic performance and trends and other statements that are not descriptions of historical facts may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). Forward-looking information is inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors, which include, but are not limited to, the factors set forth under the heading "Risk Factors" in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2007, updates and additions to those "Risk Factors" in our interim reports on Form 10-Q, Forms 8-K and in other documents filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. In particular, forward-looking statements made in this press release are subject to risks and uncertainties such that there can be no assurances whatsoever: that the shelf registration statement will be declared effective or that if so will not require further filings with or accelerations by the SEC; that the healthcare business in China will continue to grow at recent or other anticipated rates; that any strategic opportunities will become available to the Company or, if pursued, will prove to be successful; that the shelf registration statement will provide actual benefits to the Company in achieving any such opportunities or such success; that any offering under the shelf registration statement will be consummated without dilution to stockholders; that the revenues or operating income as a percentage of revenues of the hospital division will increase in the amounts anticipated if at all; that either Chinese Governmental approval processes regarding our product registrations or U.S. and German government-backed loan projects will be successfully completed or lead to profitable product sales; nor that the medical products division will return to profitability in the current year. Forward-looking statements may be identified by terms such as "may", "will", "should", "could", "expects", "plans", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "estimates", "predicts", "forecasts", "potential", or "continue" or similar terms or the negative of these terms. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forwardlooking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. We have no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
For more information, please contact:
Judy Zakreski
Lawrence Pemble
Tel: +1-301-215-7777
