Almost all of Tunisia’s private clinics at risk

97% of private clinics are no longer able to cover their operating costs due to the coronavirus crisis, according to a study on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on private clinics in Tunisia conducted by the Tunisia Health Alliance.

This study warns that the situation of the private healthcare sector is alarming and calls for specific short, medium and long-term measures to be taken, in response to the health crisis. Unless the state helps clinics quickly it warns some will close permanently.

The recommendations proposed in the study cover both an emergency plan that will help alleviate the financial burden on clinics, a recovery plan and better patient care and a development plan that will ensure better dialogue between public and private structures.

The study was conducted on the basis of a questionnaire sent to the managers of the various Tunisian private clinics. A significant sample, 43 out of 100 existing establishments, replied to the questionnaire, representing nearly 70% of the beds in the sector and covering 13 governorates of the Tunisian territory.

During the COVID-19 crisis, the study shows that one out of two clinics lost at least 85% of their usual turnover and 3/4 of the clinics lost at least 70% of their turnover. With fixed expenses representing nearly 41% of sales, 97% of the clinics are no longer able to cover their operating expenses.

This drop in turnover is explained in particular by the limitation of medical activity to urgent procedures only, the virtual halt of consultations, the restriction of movement and the reduction in the influx of patients, as well as the closure of borders, which has blocked the flow of foreign patients.

With the general economic crisis, the clinics foresee a 30% drop in local market demand for years and a gradual recovery of international activity only in early 2021: one clinic in two makes at least 40% of its turnover from foreign patients.

Half of the clinics have difficulty paying May salaries and only 2.5% of the clinics will manage to pay their employees’ salaries until August.

Tunisia has 100 private clinics nationwide with a capacity of 6,000 beds (20% of the national capacity).

Tunisia was a popular destination for medical tourism from the Middle East and North Africa region.

The Tunisia Health Alliance is a professional group of 15 Tunisian companies operating across the entire health value chain in Tunisia and operating in the sub-sectors of the pharmaceutical industry, medical devices, health care services, further training and health technologies. It promotes Tunisian clinics regionally.