Bharat Scans turns hi-tech

PREDICTIVE and diagnostic medicine have emerged as direct spin-offs to the healthcare boom. Chennai based Bharat Scans is one such company which can boast of being the first in Asia to install several advanced diagnostic machines.

What started off as a humble scan lab in 1996 has now turned into a one-stop solution for diagnostics. Bharat Scan’s promoter and managing director R. Emmanuel says, his venture has invested nearly Rs. 40 crore over a period. This included Rs. 25-30 crore on equipment, Rs. 5 crore on a specialised lab and the rest on infrastructure. "We are conscious of investing in advanced technology, ensuring top-most quality and service to our customers. We do not charge more for those using high-speed scanning. Rather, we will focus on volume. We also want to aggressively market our diagnostics solutions."

[Ref: Economic Times, dt. 21-02-2004]


Apollo Hospitals looks for pacts in West Asia, Africa

Apollo Hospitals Group is scouting for partnering with hospitals in West Asia and Africa to leverage its brand equity in these highly potential medical tourism markets. The company is looking at bagging operation and management contracts from healthcare service providers in these markets, aiming to have close to 1,000 international beds over the next two years.

The strategy by default will also make Apollo, India’s first MNC healthcare service providers. Apollo has just entered in to a partnership to provide operational management services Lagos based Hygeia Nigeria Ltd, one of the largest healthcare groups in West Africa. Hygeia Nigeria also owns the largest health maintenance organisation (HMO) in Nigeria with over 200 hospitals and clinics in the network. Apollo, a few days ago has also bagged a project consultant job for a 100 bed multi-speciality hospital in Ghana.

Projects in Kuwait, Yemen, Sudan, Ethiopia, UAE, and even Bangladesh, Nepal and Malaysia are also at various stages of association. Most projects are handled from the concept to commissioning and eventually the management.

"Apollo’s pan-Asia experience is now much sought-after by the developing and the developed countries. Low-cost high quality healthcare model that Apollo has perfected are the virtues that the global healthcare organisations are trying to replicate," Mr. John Punnoose, CEO, operations and management division of the company, told ET.

Apollo Hospitals has even decided to take this business model for the company’s future growth plan in the domestic market. In fact, this strategy of Apollo does not need any financial capital investment but only transfer of human capital. "Investing for own beds at today’s cost would be to the tune of Rs. 30-45 lakh per bed. On the other hand, the overheads and costs involved in managing hospitals are relatively less with higher returns," Mr. Punnoose added.

The hospital major is also looking at this business model to increase its presence in cities where it has no presence till now. These include markets like Mumbai, Patna, Bhopal, Kanpur, Surat and Ludhiana. "The strategy is to double the number of beds under the managed category and reach to 5,000 beds by the next two years," Mr. Punnoose said.

[Ref: Economic Times, dt. 21-02-2004]