Malaysia's IHH eyes $4.5 bln bid for Australia healthcare firm-source

* IHH may pay $4.5bln for Healthscope

* Sale would give IHH presence in growing Australian healthcare industry

By Byron Kaye

SYDNEY, March 11 (Reuters) - IHH Healthcare Bhd IHHH.KL , Asia's largest hospital operator by market value, is considering making a A$5 billion ($4.5 billion) offer for Australian healthcare firm Healthscope, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.

The purchase would mark Malaysian-based IHH's first foray into Australia, where demand for healthcare services is growing rapidly due to an ageing population. It would also offer a swift and lucrative exit for U.S. buyout firms TPG and Carlyle Group Ltd CG.O which paid A$1.99 billion for Healthscope in 2010.

Healthscope executives and lead bankers Macquarie Group Ltd

MQG.AX and UBS AG UBSN.VX recently met potential buyers in Asia, the person familiar with the matter said, adding that TPG and Carlyle had set a deadline for indicative bids in April.

TPG and Carlyle are also considering taking Healthcare public, said the person who declined to be identified due to the confidentiality of the process.

News of the potential IHH purchase was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

When asked to comment, IHH said in a statement that it was "always looking at various value accretive opportunities to add to its portfolio". TPG and Carlyle declined to comment.

Earlier this year, Healthscope said it was considering several options for a sale process to cash in on strong demand for quality healthcare assets. News Search ID:nL3N0L303P

Stocks in Australian private health operators have surged so far this year, with Ramsay Health Care Ltd RHC.AX up almost 14 percent and Sonic Healthcare Ltd SHL.AX gaining over 7 percent, compared to a 1 percent gain in the broader index.

IHH is 45 percent owned by Malaysian sovereign fund Khazanah Nasional and joint-listed in Malaysia and Singapore. It operates hospitals across Asia and in Turkey, according to its website.

Earlier this year, TPG hired Ganen Sarvananthan, the former head of investments at Khazanah, as a partner and managing director in Asia.

Healthscope, which owns 44 private hospitals in Australia and pathology operations in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and New Zealand, reported A$328 million in operating earnings before finance costs, income tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for the year ending June 2013. ($1 = 1.1086 Australian Dollars)

(Reporting By Byron Kaye; Editing by Michael Flaherty and Miral Fahmy)

((byron.kaye@thomsonreuters.com)(+612 9373 1815))

Keywords: AUSTRALIA HEALTHSCOPE/