On June 29, VitalAire Japan (President & CEO: Takashi Watanabe), a fully owned affiliate of Air Liquide Japan (President: Shiro Yahara) being engaged in the sales of medical equipment, has acquired the home healthcare business from Kyowa Iriki (President: Kouichi Marutani). No detail of amount for the transfer has been disclosed. 　

Kyowa Iriki, a distributor of medical equipment and consumables working mainly in the Chugoku and Shikoku districts, is not only selling medical equipment but also engaging in the service business like SPD, HOT (home oxygen therapy). Air Liquide group has been selling medical oxygen to Kyowa Iriki.

What VitalAire Japan is going to take over this time is home healthcare business such as HOT or CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure). In connection with the transfer of business, Kyowa Iriki’s employees in charge of home healthcare business will be transferred to VitalAire Japan accordingly.

Kyowa Iriki is proceeding with the home healthcare business locating its business bases in Fukuyama City of Hiroshima Prefecture and Okayama City of Okayama Prefecture, keeping related patients in units of several hundred each with a turnover of about 200 million yen (as estimated by Gas Review). Regarding the transference of business this time, Air Liquide Japan says, “The Air Liquide Group also keeps a keen attention to the home healthcare business, and intends to reinforce activities from now on.”