China Net Finance, April 26 - The performance of Huaxia Ophthalmology (301267.SZ), a large ophthalmic medical chain group, continued to grow.
On the evening of the 25th, Huaxia Ophthalmology released its 2023 annual report, in 2023, the company achieved revenue of 4.013 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 24.12%, net profit attributable to the parent company of 666 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 29.6%, and basic earnings per share of 0.79 yuan. The company plans to distribute a cash dividend of 1.1 yuan (tax included) to all shareholders for every 10 shares, with a total cash dividend of 91.8252 million yuan.
At the same time, the company also disclosed the first quarter report of 2024, the company's operating income in the first quarter was 978 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.09%, and the net profit attributable to the parent company was 156 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 3.75%.
Strong diagnosis and treatment strength, and the layout of the medical service network continues to improve
In the annual report, Huaxia Ophthalmology attributed the driving factors of the company's steady growth in performance to four reasons. From the perspective of the industry environment, the diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases, including cataracts, continued to recover, the demand for consumer ophthalmology grew steadily, and the proportion of the company's mid-to-high-end surgeries continued to increase. From the perspective of internal business measures, Huaxia Ophthalmology adheres to the development strategy of "endogenous growth + extension mergers and acquisitions", accelerates the improvement of the layout of the national ophthalmic medical service network, the business volume increases year by year, and the scale effect continues to appear; the company's diagnosis and treatment strength continues to improve, and the academic and brand influence continues to increase; and the company actively introduces cutting-edge diagnosis and treatment technology and equipment to meet the growing demand for personalized diagnosis and treatment services.
From the perspective of cutting-edge ophthalmic diagnosis and treatment technology and rich clinical experience and medical service layout, Huaxia Ophthalmology has established an ophthalmology general diagnosis and treatment service system.
According to the annual report, in 2023, Xiamen Eye Center and Xuzhou Fuxing "Refractive Intraocular Lens Measurement and Calculation Center" under Huaxia Ophthalmology will be established, relying on a strong team of cataract experts and international mainstream instruments and equipment to help accurate and personalized cataract diagnosis and treatment. According to the annual report data, during the reporting period, the Huaxia Ophthalmology cataract project achieved revenue of 987 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 31.38%, and the gross profit margin of the project was 43.69%, a year-on-year increase of 5.68%.
In addition, Xiamen Eye Center, Shanghai Heping, Hefei Celebrity Ophthalmology, Xuzhou Fuxing, Yantai Kangai and other hospitals under Huaxia Ophthalmology have been awarded the "One-stop Intravitreal Drug Injection Practice Demonstration Base" by the National Clinical Research Center for Eye Diseases, providing one-stop services for patients with fundus diseases. Diagnosis and treatment technology for the treatment of pigmentoma and retinoblastoma, the Department of Ocular Surface and Corneal Diseases of Xiamen Eye Center has successfully carried out artificial corneal surgery and scleral endoscopy to provide better treatment for patients with refractory corneal disease, and Dr. Yao Xiaoming, vice president and chief expert of Shenzhen Huaxia, has successfully carried out the first artificial biological cornea to treat corneal ulcers in Shenzhen. During the reporting period, Xiamen Eye Center was listed in the Fudan edition of the "2022 China Hospital Specialty Reputation Ranking" for the fifth consecutive year, and was the only specialized hospital in Fujian Province to be on the list.
Since 2023, Huaxia Ophthalmology has continued to accelerate the improvement of the Group's medical service network layout through the two-wheel drive of "endogenous growth + epitaxial mergers and acquisitions". Through epitaxial mergers and acquisitions, Hefei Shining Eye Hospital, a famous optometry hospital, Chengdu Aidi Eye Hospital, a tertiary eye hospital, have been included in the "territory" of Huaxia Ophthalmology.
According to the announcement, Huaxia Ophthalmology intends to acquire 100% of the equity of Juxin No. 1 Consulting Company for a transaction consideration of 502.5 million yuan, and the main assets of the target company are Chengdu Aidi Eye Hospital (Class 3A), Weishan Medical University Eye Hospital and Suining Fuxing Eye Hospital and other hospitals indirectly controlled by it. The revenue of the target company from January to February 2024 will be 90.355 million yuan and the net profit will be 12.42 million yuan. This move is the implementation of Huaxia Ophthalmology's two-wheel drive development strategy of "endogenous growth + extension mergers and acquisitions", which will help integrate and absorb high-quality resources, deepen the company's layout and influence in the local regional market, improve the company's ophthalmic medical service network layout, and further increase business performance. Prior to this, in August 2023, Huaxia Ophthalmology acquired 33% of the equity of Hefei Shining with its own funds of 70 million yuan, holding a total of 51% of the equity of Hefei Shining, and achieving strategic holding.
As of the end of 2023, Huaxia Ophthalmology has opened 57 ophthalmology specialty hospitals and 60 optometry centers in 47 cities in 18 provinces and municipalities across the country, radiating to East China, Central China, South China, Southwest China, North China and other vast regions in China. In 2023, the number of ophthalmology clinics in Huaxia exceeded 1.86 million, a year-on-year increase of about 21%, and the number of surgeries exceeded 370,000, a year-on-year increase of about 23%.
Fruitful scientific research achievements and "fertile soil" for the growth of talent team
Relying on a sound scientific research and innovation platform and a mature scientific research and academic system, in 2023, Huaxia Ophthalmology will apply for 40 new patents, 39 new patents will be authorized, and 103 new scientific research articles will be published in various journals, 30 of which will be included in SCI. Professor Li Xiaoxin's monograph "Practical Ophthalmology" (Fourth Edition) was officially released and was selected into the "13th Five-Year Plan" National Key Publication Publication Special Planning Project, and the "Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines for Dry Eye in China" edited by Professor Liu Guoguo was officially published, which is the first clinical diagnosis and treatment guide in the field of dry eye in mainland China.
In addition, the company has newly approved 36 medical research projects, carried out 11 new clinical trial projects and served as PI, and participated in the formulation or revision of 15 new industry standards. At the same time, Huaxia Ophthalmology actively organizes and participates in ophthalmology academic exchange activities at home and abroad, and successfully hosts the 9th Huaxia Ophthalmology International Forum and 48 academic conferences and forums in 2023. At the 9th Huaxia Ophthalmology International Forum, the company released two white papers, the "National White Paper on the Prevention and Control of Myopia in Children and Adolescents" and the "White Paper on the Epidemiological Investigation of Eye Diseases in Fujian Province", revealing the risk factors of myopia in children and adolescents and filling the gap in the epidemiological investigation of eye diseases in Fujian Province.
In terms of the construction of the medical team, Huaxia Ophthalmology has always adhered to the development path of "talent leading and driving", is committed to building a highland of ophthalmic talents, taking multiple measures to increase the introduction and training of talents, and promoting the establishment of a talent pool led by leading ophthalmology talents.
In 2023, Huaxia Ophthalmology will introduce a number of well-known domestic ophthalmology experts such as Professor Zhu Siquan and Professor Zhang Xuedong, and the discipline construction and talent strength will be further enhanced. Under the guidance of high-level talents, Huaxia Ophthalmology continues to improve the talent training system and platform construction, actively carries out foreign cooperation and exchanges, and builds an echelon of ophthalmic medical talents. In 2023, on the basis of establishing cooperative relations with more than 30 colleges and universities such as Peking University and Xiamen University, Huaxia Ophthalmology will further promote school-enterprise cooperation, and sign strategic cooperation agreements with Xiamen University School of Medicine, Dali University and other universities. Nanchang Institute of Technology and other universities have carried out exchanges and seminars to deepen the integrated development of production, education and research, and jointly carried out Huaxia talent training classes with partner universities to continuously provide ophthalmic medical talents for the hospital.
Huaxia Ophthalmology also continues to hold talent cultivation programs such as "Chinese Ophthalmologist Rising Star Program" and "Chinese Ophthalmologist Elite Talent Program". Up to now, the "China Ophthalmologist Rising Star Program" has set up and operated 133 continuing education bases, opened 17 professional skills training programs, and held 30 training courses in 2023, and by the end of 2023, more than 600 students have graduated, continuously cultivating elite talents for the high-quality development of various disciplines.
Adhere to the principle of medicine for the people and demonstrate responsibility with good deeds
Looking back at 2023, Huaxia Ophthalmology has never stopped on the road of public welfare, in addition to making sonorous steps on the road of hospital operation.
As the prevention and control of myopia in children and adolescents has become the focus of promoting national eye health, Huaxia Ophthalmology has always closely followed the national strategy, actively explored the establishment of a scientific, comprehensive, integrated and sustainable myopia prevention and control system for children and adolescents, carried out vision screening for children and adolescents, screened out abnormal vision or suspicious eye diseases, and gave full play to the professional advantages of the hospital to provide personalized prevention and control and diagnosis and treatment plans to protect the eye health of children and adolescents.
In 2023, Huaxia Ophthalmology officially launched the "Huaxia Ophthalmology 365 Myopia Prevention and Control Model", focusing on 3 preventive measures, 6 control plans and 5 guarantee platforms to further improve the accuracy, effectiveness and efficiency of myopia prevention and control. In the next three years, the "Vision Rapid Screening Information System" plans to cover 200 cities, empower 300 medical institutions, improve the technical capabilities of prevention and control, and further improve the efficiency of school data collection.
In addition, Xiamen Eye Center, Fuzhou Ophthalmology, and Putian Huaxia were selected as the first batch of "2022 Fujian Children and Adolescents Myopia Prevention and Control Base", relying on the advantages of experts to carry out in-depth publicity and education on myopia prevention and control. In 2023, Huaxia Ophthalmology will carry out a total of more than 5 million campus screenings for myopia prevention and control, and more than 50,000 free clinics for blindness prevention, with a total of more than 1.3 million people screened.
In addition to the prevention and control of myopia in adolescents, Huaxia Ophthalmology continues to carry out ophthalmic public welfare projects such as "Overseas Chinese Love, Brightness", "Overseas Chinese Love, Community", "Brightness Project" Cataract Restoration Project, "Tibet Brightness Tour", "Cambodia International Brightness Tour", etc., to promote the accessibility and affordability of medical resources, so that more people can enjoy fair, accessible, high-quality and inclusive eye health medical services. In 2023, more than 2,000 eye health screenings will be carried out, covering more than 69,000 people, and more than 5,700 patients with eye diseases will be operated on.
Up to now, Huaxia Ophthalmology has carried out the "Bright Project" cataract restoration project in 12 hospitals in 7 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government) across the country, and treated more than 1,190 difficult cataract patients. More than 10,700 primary and secondary school students in 13 schools in four counties in the first district of Shigatse City have been screened for myopia, strabismus and amblyopia, and more than 1,000 children have been provided with free glasses, more than 60 Tibetan children with strabismus have undergone free corrective surgery, more than 130 Tibetan compatriots have been given free cataract surgery, and nearly 100 cadres and talents have been given optometry examinations and free glasses.
(Editor in charge: Shen Yang)