EXHIBIT 12.1 PARACELSUS HEALTHCARE CORPORATION COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES (IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT RATIO AND UNAUDITED) FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HISTORICAL PRO FORMA(1) PRO FORMA(2) ---------------------------------------------------------- ------------- ------------- 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1995 1995 Income (loss) before minority interests, income taxes, cumulative effect of accounting change and extraordinary loss........................... $ 20,588 $ 20,779 $ 25,341 $ 23,387 $ 23,938 $ 19,013 $ 14,745 Interest expense -- debt borrowings and capitalized leases......................... 12,043 10,496 10,213 12,966 15,746 17,241 36,803 Interest portion of rental expense........................ 2,751 3,109 3,970 5,892 6,411 6,932 8,338 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------------- ------------- Earnings (loss)............. $ 35,382 $ 34,384 $ 39,524 $ 42,245 $ 46,095 $ 43,186 $ 59,886 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------------- ------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------------- ------------- Fixed charges: Interest...................... $ 12,043 $ 10,496 $ 10,213 $ 12,966 $ 15,746 $ 17,241 $ 36,803 Interest portion of rental expense...................... 2,751 3,109 3,970 5,892 6,411 6,932 8,338 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------------- ------------- Total fixed charges......... $ 14,794 $ 13,605 $ 14,183 $ 18,858 $ 22,157 $ 24,173 $ 45,141 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------------- ------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ------------- ------------- Ratio of earnings to fixed charges................. 2.4 x 2.5 x 2.8 x 2.2 x 2.1 x 1.8 x 1.3 x SIX MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, -------------------------------------------------------------------- PRO FORMA(3) PRO FORMA(4) HISTORICAL PRO FORMA(1) PRO FORMA(2) PRO FORMA(3) ------------- ------------- ----------------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- 1995 1995 1995 1996 1995 1995 1995 Income (loss) before minority interests, income taxes, cumulative effect of accounting change and extraordinary loss........................... $ 11,868 $ 12,832 $ 11,832 ($ 11,219) $ 13,926 $ 9,136 $ 6,560 Interest expense -- debt borrowings and capitalized leases......................... 38,953 37,989 7,652 7,685 8,260 17,099 19,310 Interest portion of rental expense........................ 8,338 8,338 3,181 3,195 3,389 4,102 4,102 ------------- ------------- ---------- ----------- ------------- ------------- ------------- Earnings (loss)............. $ 59,159 $ 59,159 $ 22,665 ($339) $ 25,575 $ 30,337 $ 29,972 ------------- ------------- ---------- ----------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ---------- ----------- ------------- ------------- ------------- Fixed charges: Interest...................... $ 38,953 $ 37,989 $ 7,652 $ 7,685 $ 8,260 $ 17,099 $ 19,310 Interest portion of rental expense...................... 8,338 8,338 3,181 3,195 3,389 4,102 4,102 ------------- ------------- ---------- ----------- ------------- ------------- ------------- Total fixed charges......... $ 47,291 $ 46,327 $ 10,833 $ 10,880 $ 11,649 $ 21,201 $ 23,412 ------------- ------------- ---------- ----------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ---------- ----------- ------------- ------------- ------------- Ratio of earnings to fixed charges................. 1.3 x 1.3 x 2.1 x -- 2.2x 1.4 x 1.3 x PRO FORMA(4) PRO FORMA(1) PRO FORMA(2) PRO FORMA(3) PRO FORMA(4) ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- 1995 1996 1996 1996 1996 Income (loss) before minority interests, income taxes, cumulative effect of accounting change and extraordinary loss........................... $ 6,560 $( 8,625) $( 9,375) $( 11,342) $( 9,698) Interest expense -- debt borrowings and capitalized leases......................... 19,310 8,863 19,686 21,288 19,644 Interest portion of rental expense........................ 4,102 3,452 4,162 4,162 4,162 ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- Earnings (loss)............. $ 29,972 $ 3,690 $ 14,473 $ 14,108 $ 14,108 ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- Fixed charges: Interest...................... $ 19,310 $ 8,863 $ 19,686 $ 21,288 $ 19,644 Interest portion of rental expense...................... 4,102 3,452 4,162 4,162 4,162 ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- Total fixed charges......... $ 23,412 $ 12,315 $ 23,848 $ 25,450 $ 23,806 ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- Ratio of earnings to fixed charges................. 1.3 x -- -- -- -- (1) Adjusted to give pro forma effect to Paracelsus' acquisition of the Columbia Hospitals. (2) Adjusted to give pro forma effect to the Merger. (3) Adjusted to give pro forma effect to the Merger and the Notes Offering. (4) Adjusted to give pro forma effect to the Merger and the Offerings.