The Hindu Business Line : Healthcare on Hiranandanis' radar

"IT was not even a dream that Hiranandanis will create a hospital some day," says 87-year old Dr L.H. Hiranandani, a Padmabushan award winner and renowned ENT surgeon.

But having recently established the 130-bed multi-speciality Dr L.H. Hiranandani Hospital at Powai, Mumbai — the Hiranandani Group, spearheaded by Dr Hiranandani's sons, clearly has healthcare on its radar.

With a strong presence in the real estate and construction segment, the estimated Rs 520-crore group is looking at other local and international projects in the healthcare segment, Mr Surendra Hiranandani, Managing Director of the group, told Business Line.

"We are looking at project management services to set up hospitals and manage them. We have a couple of proposals from Hyderabad, besides an international project in another country," he said, unwilling to divulge any details.

Meanwhile, the estimated Rs 70-crore Mumbai-project started its operations earlier this month. The hospital offers secondary and tertiary care, along with the ambulatory care facilities - that reduce hospital stay, by allowing patients to take treatment during the day and go home by night.

Dr Sujit Chatterjee, Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, said that the institution catered to several medical disciplines and 37 of the 130 beds were dedicated to critical care.

Dr Hiranandani said that the hospital has over 120 doctors and 130 nurses and plans were on the anvil to set up a nursing college under the aegis of SNDT College.

Further, he pointed out that the hospital conformed to international standards by way of bed to space ratio.

Responding to a query on people still finding it difficult to afford treatment at corporate hospitals, he said: "As it is a charitable trust hospital, 10 per cent of the people treated in general and 30 per cent of critical care would be for free. But finally, the care of people who cannot afford will have to be taken up by the State.

``The numbers are so large that even the best of hospitals will not be able to cater to their needs. The Government will have to increase its spending on health and provide some sort of a healthcare scheme."

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