FRANKFURT, May 9 (Reuters) - Fresenius Medical Care (FMEG.DE) said on Tuesday labour shortages were slowly easing as the German dialysis specialist reported a drop in its first-quarter adjusted operating income, although not as steep as feared by some analysts. The company said in a statement on Tuesday its adjusted operating income dropped to 354 million euros ($390 million), compared with the median analysts' estimate of 335 million in a consensus posted on the company's website. The dialysis group's parent Fresenius SE (FREG.DE) has said this year it would cede control over the struggling dialysis firm, but keep its stake for now as part of a turnaround plan. Fresenius Medical, which was hit hard by a high rate of COVID-19 deaths among its patients, said this burden was easing, though excess mortality for now continued to weigh on growth. Its parent company, German healthcare group Fresenius (FREG.DE), said on Tuesday its first-quarter operating earnings slipped a currency-adjusted 10%.

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