?Apollo Hospitals to invest Rs 600 cr in FY17

Chennai-based Apollo Hospitals is planning to invest close to Rs 600 crore to raise its bedcount across the country to 9,000 by the end of FY17, says Business Standard report. Currently, Apollo directly owns 8,400 beds and is also planning to start an advanced cardiac care facility in Ahmedabad with an investment of around Rs 60 crore. The hospital chain intends to have 10 such centers across India.

"We are planning to raise the bedcount to 9000 this fiscal, and an investment of Rs 600 crore is earmarked for the same," informed K Hari Prasad, President, Hospitals Division, Apollo Hospitals.

Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group, said: "While we are close to starting a complete heart hospital in the city in joint venture with Cardio Vascular Heart Foundation, we are also considering 10 more locations across India where we could have similar facilities."

The 70-100 bed facility coming up at Ahmedabad would be equipped with the latest technology, like the 320-slice CT machine, which Apollo claimed was the first in Gujarat. This is Apollo's effort to move closer to the patients as its hospital is located at the outskirts of Ahmedabad closer to Gandhinagar, and patients from the city find it difficult to access during emergencies. Apollo has invested close to Rs 400 crore in its Gandhinagar facility so far. Its Navi Mumbai facility, a 500-bed tertiary care hospital is almost ready.