(Updates throughout with details of deal, trading statement)
By Soumyajit Saha
June 15 (Reuters) - Australia's Healius Ltd HLS.AX agreed on Monday to sell its primary care business, which includes large scale medical centres and dental practices, to funds managed by private equity firm BGH Capital for A$500 million ($342 million).
The deal comes just months after the medical centre operator turned down a A$2.12 billion offer from Swiss private equity firm Partners Group PGHN.S to acquire the whole company. said it will use the around A$470 million in cash it receives after deal costs to strengthen the balance sheet and support growth in its pathology and images divisions. It added that proceeds may be deferred by A$75 million if earnings from dental clinics do not return to pre-COVID-19 levels by the deal's completion, scheduled before the end of 2020.
Healius will retain its day hospitals, IVF business, pathology collection centres and imaging clinics.
In a trading update accompanying the deal announcement, Healius said its diagnostics businesses had "experienced good growth in activity" since mid-April as Australia began to emerge from a coronavirus lockdown.
"Dental and IVF are also moving back towards pre-COVID levels following the lifting of relevant clinical restrictions, Medical Centres has experienced strong revenues throughout the COVID period, underpinned by telehealth services," it said.
Healius also said it has agreed to refinance its syndicated bank debt facility, increasing it to A$570 million and extending its maturity to January 2024.
($1 = 1.4628 Australian dollars)