DaVita signs major tender to treat dialysis patients in Saudi Arabia

Feb 17 2014

DaVita, a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. (NYSE: DVA) and a leading provider of kidney care services, today announced it has signed a major tender from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health to treat half of the approximately 10,000 dialysis patients currently under the Ministry's care.

Under the award DaVita will operate as many as 80 centers and is undertaking a substantial recruitment effort to attract new clinical and administrative teammates from within Saudi Arabia and across the world. Many career opportunities have already been posted on DaVita.com/SA with more coming in the near future.

"This is another important step in our vision for expanding our kidney care services internationally," said  Kent Thiry, co-chairman and CEO of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. "It is an honor for DaVita to work with the Ministry of Health to deliver high-quality kidney care to its patients."

"We congratulate Health Minister Dr. Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Rabeeah on making this agreement possible and for working to improve the quality of life for people living with chronic kidney disease in Saudi Arabia," said Dennis Kogod, chief operating officer of DaVita HealthCare Partners.

As in many parts of the world, prevalence of chronic kidney disease in Saudi Arabia has accelerated over the past three decades due largely to changing lifestyles, population growth, urbanization and longer life expectancies.

"DaVita stands in partnership with the Ministry of Health in addressing this issue," said Bjorn Englund, president of DaVita in Europe and the Middle East. "We bring a number of industry-leading programs including vascular access management and an innovative vascular access training program for nephrologists. We know this will have a lasting, positive impact on the patients we serve."

DaVita will also be a prime resource to the Ministry of Health in identifying ways to prevent kidney disease within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

SOURCE DaVita