Together towards big goals

The successful M&A deal worth more than VND9,000 billion (USD381.4 million) between Thomson Medical Group and FV Hospital has attracted special attention from international and domestic media recently.

Delegates take souvenir photos at the announcement ceremony on the morning of January 17.

If owning FV Hospital brings strategic position to Thomson Medical Group in the potential investment market of Vietnam, for FV, this turning point opens a new era for the hospital. The entire existing leadership team and doctors will continue to stick together, affirming their reputation and aiming for bigger goals in the future. The captain - Doctor Jean-Marcel Guillon and the team that he and his team have built and developed over the past two decades will continue to take the "ship" FV to new journeys.

Mr. Kiat Lim - Executive Vice President of Thomson Medical Group and Dr. Jean-Marcel Guillon - General Director of FV Hospital shook hands to announce FV as a member of Thomson Medical Group.

Largest M&A deal ever in healthcare sector in Vietnam

Both international and domestic media have commented that the event of “FV becoming a member of Thomson” is the largest M&A deal ever in the healthcare sector in Vietnam and also the largest acquisition in this sector in Southeast Asia since 2020.

The deal marks the official entry into Vietnam of Thomson Medical Group - one of the leading listed healthcare companies in Southeast Asia with operations in Singapore and Malaysia.

The bidding process was highly competitive with many interested parties, with private equity firms dominating the bidding process, but Thomson Medical Group, as a strategic investor with a long-term vision, successfully came through. Thomson’s bid was distinguished by its longer-term investment vision and focus on creating a positive impact on the wider healthcare community and the wider healthcare landscape in Vietnam. The deal also demonstrates the attractiveness of Vietnam’s potential healthcare market, while giving Thomson Medical Group a presence in three of Southeast Asia’s most important healthcare destinations: Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Create a strategic position, open the gateway for development and investment

Mr Kiat Lim, Executive Vice President of Thomson Medical Group, said: “The acquisition of FV Hospital expands our presence in three of Southeast Asia’s most important healthcare geographies, providing us with access to a growing market and a rich talent pool, while also making significant inroads into neighboring countries such as Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. Similar to the long-standing relationship between Singapore and Vietnam, I look forward to the strong partnership between Thomson Medical Group and FV Hospital continuing to grow year after year to enhance the quality of healthcare in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.”

Mr. Kiat Lim - Executive Vice President of Thomson Medical Group spoke at the event.

Mr. Melvin Heng – CEO of Thomson Medical Group shared: “This transaction is not only a collaboration between two organizations, but also a convergence of expertise, a combination of talents and a collaboration of two healthcare giants with a common purpose. I look forward to working closely with Dr. Guillon and his team to inherit the strengths of FV Hospital and leverage Thomson’s extensive expertise to make FV the No. 1 Hospital in Indochina”.

Mr. Melvin Heng – General Director of Thomson Medical Group

FV was founded by Dr. Jean-Marcel Guillon and a group of French doctors, and has been operating since 2003, initiating the trend of attracting FDI into the medical industry in Vietnam. FV owns state-of-the-art facilities and equipment with more than 1,500 employees, including 236 well-trained, dynamic and dedicated doctors, capable of treating even the most difficult cases in 36 specialties (internal and external medicine). The FV team practices according to the motto "taking the patient as the center" and sets the ambition to become "Asia's leading healthcare service provider".

It can be said that FV is a successful foreign investment project in the healthcare sector, receiving and treating nearly 250,000 patients every year, of which 25% are foreigners living and working in Vietnam. Before FV, they had to fly to Singapore, Thailand or even be transferred to their home country for treatment. And now, when FV is a member of Thomson Healthcare Group, FV has become a trusted treatment center for many international patients, thereby contributing to raising the prestige of the Vietnamese healthcare sector, meeting the increasing demand for medical examination and treatment of domestic people and attracting a large number of international tourists to Vietnam for health care, increasing foreign currency revenue.

Prof. Dr. Tran Van Thuan - Deputy Minister of Health spoke at the event

Attending the announcement ceremony of “FV is a member of Thomson Medical Group”, Prof. Dr. Tran Van Thuan - Deputy Minister of Health emphasized : “Today, I am very pleased to attend the event where FV Hospital officially becomes a member of Thomson Medical Group. First of all, on behalf of the Minister of Health, I would like to congratulate the hospital and its leaders, and wish you all good health and happiness.... The viewpoint of the Party, the Government and the Ministry of Health is that we do not distinguish between public and private hospitals, we strongly encourage private healthcare to have investment from international corporations. And today, FV officially becomes a member of Thomson, this is not only a joy for the hospital but also a joy for the Ministry of Health.

We know that FV Hospital has been operating for 20 years under the leadership of its leadership team and FV is one of 6 hospitals in Vietnam to receive JCI certification and is in the top 10 high-quality hospitals evaluated by the Department of Health. And with the potential of Thomson Medical Group, we are completely confident that FV Hospital will continue to develop even more strongly. And we hope that the group will continue to research to not only be present in Ho Chi Minh City but also expand to other provinces and cities. Recently, while planning the national healthcare network, we added 2 major cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, into a healthcare complex including hospitals, schools, pharmacies, research institutes, and technical production facilities to the healthcare complex located in Long An near Ho Chi Minh City, and Bac Ninh near Hanoi. If the group is interested in any locality, we will be ready to support the Ministry of Health's procedures in investment and development.

Currently, the healthcare network mainly relies on public and government investment. However, resources are generally limited, so we look forward to investment from the private sector, especially from large corporations. We believe that private investment in healthcare will help improve the quality of medical examination and treatment for the community. And not only public hospitals but also private hospitals will develop together. And we also hope that Thomson and FV will share their experience in hospital management and operation. Wishing FV Hospital to grow more and more, and together with us, achieve many successes in monitoring and protecting people's health."

Mr. Kho Ngee Seng Roy - Consul General of Singapore speaking at the event

Singapore Consul General Kho Ngee Seng Roy said: “Singapore has been a leading investor in Vietnam for many years. The merger of FV Hospital into Thomson Healthcare is a clear demonstration of Vietnam’s growing importance in the regional arena, its ability to attract foreign direct investment, and the close trade ties between the two countries. The cross-border collaboration, knowledge sharing and common goal of improving healthcare systems that both Thomson Healthcare and FV Hospital are pursuing are also a shining example of the heights that our two countries can achieve through cooperation.”

Dr. Jean-Marcel Guillon will continue as CEO of FV

Dr Jean-Marcel Guillon, CEO of FV, said: “This is an extremely proud moment for FV Hospital, affirming the journey of more than two decades of continuous construction and development of FV Hospital, becoming a leading facility in the healthcare sector in Vietnam. Now, supported by the resources of Thomson Medical Group and by our shared leadership values, we will have an even faster growth trajectory, pushing us towards even greater goals.

I, the Board of Directors and all staff of FV Hospital will stay and continue to develop FV with Thomson Healthcare Group, opening a new era for FV to grow even stronger. Today, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Kiat, Melvin and all members of the Board of Directors and the Thomson Board of Directors for believing in me and the FV team to help us achieve this day."

According to Dr. Jean-Marcel Guillon, when joining Thomson's large-scale medical network, FV Hospital will continuously improve its medical examination and treatment capacity, continuously update advanced equipment to better serve its patients and the community!

About Thomson Medical Group Listed on the Main Board of the Singapore Exchange, Thomson Medical Group (SGX: A50) is one of the leading healthcare companies in Southeast Asia with operations in Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam. Established in 1979, the Group’s Thomson Medical Pte Ltd is one of the largest private healthcare providers for women and children in Singapore. The Group owns and operates the iconic Thomson Medical Centre and a network of close to 40 clinics and specialist medical facilities, providing outpatient healthcare services for women and children as well as services in diagnostic imaging, health screening, gynaecological oncology, dentistry, dermatology, traditional Chinese medicine, orthopedics and sports medicine. The Group operates in Malaysia under the brand name TMC Life Sciences Berhad, a diversified healthcare company listed on the Bursa Malaysia Stock Exchange. We operate Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara, a tertiary care hospital in Kota Damansara, and TMC Fertility and Women’s Centre, which is recognised as an industry leader in assisted reproduction in Malaysia. The Group also owns a 9.23-hectare waterfront site strategically located in the Johor Bahru City Centre, with a proposed long-term plan to develop it into an integrated medical city to meet the growing healthcare needs of the community in the region. About FV Hospital FV is the first 100% foreign-invested hospital in Vietnam. FV opened on 11 March 2003 and after 20 years of development, FV is considered one of the leading private hospitals in Vietnam. It is the first hospital in Southern Vietnam to receive JCI accreditation and has been re-accredited twice in a row. FV Hospital, a member of Thomson Healthcare Group, operates in Vietnam and provides healthcare services in 36 specialties including oncology, cardiology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, obstetrics, gastroenterology, etc. FV provides more than 200 beds and has more than 1,500 staff, including more than 236 Vietnamese and foreign doctors. FV Hospital also owns FV Saigon Clinic and has acquired ACC - the leading chiropractic clinic in Vietnam, with 4 clinics in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang.

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/benh-vien-fv-la-thanh-vien-cua-thomson-medical-group-cung-huong-den-nhung-muc-tieu-lon-post281372.html