Feb 15 (Reuters) - Australian medical centre operator Healius Ltd HLS.AX reported a 6.3 percent fall in its first-half profit on Friday as the company spent more on employee benfits.
Profit attributable for the six months ended Dec. 31 was A$20.7 million, compared with A$22.1 million in the previous year.
The company has been facing issues with retaining its general practitioners as subsidies by the government render individual clinics more beneficial than bigger private hospitals. revenues for the first half rose 4.7 percent to A$871.6 million.
The hospital operator declared an interim dividend of 3.8 cents per share, down from the 5.1 cents per share declared in the previous year.
($1 = 1.4075 Australian dollars)