One World Hospital and Healing Centre promoted by Ms. Maureen Berlin is investing over Rs. 100 crore for infrastructure and equipment to set-up a 200-bed facility on 10 acres (5 acres each for hospital and herbal garden) in the St. John's National Academy of Sciences campus. Early this year, One World inked a memorandum of understanding with St. John's which provided the land free of cost for the private charitable initiative. The hospital construction is expected to commence in September 2006 and would be commissioned in 15 months. The funds have been raised through financial institutions and banks.
The multi super specialty hospital will cover 2.50 lakh sq. ft. The three storied unit will have a dedicated parking slot in the basement covering 75,000sq.ft. There will be eight operation theatres, 44 intensive care unit beds. The present radiology facility of St. Johns where services are outsourced will now be relocated to One World where its dedicated radiologists will also offer services for patients to the former.
The hospital treatment and therapy is based on the 'blended medicine' concept which is a scientific integration of modern medical practices along with yoga, Pranic healing and Reiki besides aqua-therapy proved by the western healthcare specialists to have a significant impact in recovery, informed Ms. Maureen Berlin, promoter-head, One World, who has also been a valuable source of managerial expertise in healthcare projects of Manipal Heart Foundation, Narayana Hrudayalaya and Columbia Hospitals in Bangalore. The lush and tranquil landscape with water bodies will provide recuperating patients have a feel of nature to relieve pain, she added.
The concept of 'blended medicine' was introduced by Dr Earl Bakken co-founded Medtronic, Inc. and inventor of the first transistorized cardiac pacemaker and founder, the North Hawaiian Hospital in the Big Islands, Hawaii. Ms. Berlin who was a part of 20 member global team for a healthcare provider conference in US organized by Dr Earl Bakken was impressed at the 'blended medicine' approach to treat diseases and disorders. On her return to India, she began toying with the idea to recreate a similar hospital in Bangalore. It was then, Fr. Dr. Thomas Kalam, director, St. John's National Academy of Sciences gave her a helping hand offering 10 acres on the campus. .
Although the hospital is targeting the corporate patients, it will be a not-for-profit organization. Thirty percent of the annual earnings will be provided to St. John's towards poor patient care.
For the future, Berlin intends to replicate similar facilities across the country.