Turkey’s Bozlu Group Opens Its First Oncology Center In Bucharest

01.14.2014 By Bogdan Neagu

MNT Healthcare Europe, a company part of Turkey’s healthcare group Bozlu, expects revenue of EUR3 million from the first Neolife center that it partially opened in Bucharest on Monday in the wake of investments of EUR15 million.

“We opened the policlinic and the chemotherapy unit, with the radiotherapy section set to open in February. We now have 35 employees, but we will double this number (in the coming period),” said Claudiu Tronciu, general manager for Romania and Moldova with MNT Healthcare Europe SRL, the company operating the Neolife center.

This is not the first step of Bozlu group in Romania, as it already operates the Monrol radiopharmaceuticals plant in Pantelimon, east of Bucharest.

MNT has two main business lines: operation of its own medical centers and the business-to-business segment, namely the management and equipment of medical units outsourced by other investors or even state-owned hospitals in Turkey.

In 2012, when the group decided to invest in Neolife, it chose a business center (Apimondia building) located in the northern part of Bucharest (Baneasa area), which was refitted as a facility for oncology patients.

“We see a break-even in five years. The group is large and patient. The project was supported from shareholders’ own sources,” said Tronciu.

He added that the progress of the first center will be monitored, with investments in another 3-4 similar centers likely to be carried out.

“New companies are sure to enter (the oncology segment). The market will get crowded in the next year and a half not only in Bucharest, but in other cities as well… We are open for partnerships,” said Tronciu.

Private oncology centers, such as Gral Medical’s OncoFort and the Amethyst center in Otopeni, mainly target Romanian patients going abroad for treatment.

Bozlu group generates annual revenue of some $120 million and comprises 18 companies. MNT was set up in the ‘90s as the first company of the group.

(English version by Catalina Apostoiu)