For a major infrastructure expansion and technology upgradation, the 17-year-old Bangalore Hospital is going public by 2009 end or early 2010. Bangalore Hospital is a medium-sized multi super specialty 180-bed hospital.
The Bangalore Hospital has also firmed up a blueprint for major expansions, which include a Greenfield project in South Bangalore on a five acre land. The Hospital has already identified the land and formalities are being worked out. The investment for the new facility will be Rs 20 crore. "We are gearing up to implement our new expansions and are working towards an Initial Public Offer (IPO)," stated Dr C Munichoodappa, managing director and head, department of Diabetology, The Bangalore Hospital.
The Hospital which started operations in 1991 by a team of doctors with a Rs 10 crore debt from IDBI under the healthcare industry support loan scheme has paid up the capital a decade ago. "We are currently a financially viable hospital backed by a team of experienced medical experts seeking assistance in phases to pursue our growth initiatives," stated Dr K S Shekhar, chairman, The Bangalore Hospital.
Under the present expansion plans, The Bangalore Hospital approached State Bank of India for Rs 5 crore for its modernization project. An additional Rs 1 crore was sourced through internal accruals. The amount is being utilized to upgrade the radiology and pathology departments and also to set up a new Cath Lab. The state-of-the-art digital cath lab, 'Innova 2100' from GE Healthcare is the first installation at a medium sized hospital in Bangalore and its surrounding districts.
The new system is expected to play a crucial role in helping clinicians to treat a growing number of chronic heart and vascular conditions. With this installation, our facility is among the most advanced in Bangalore, informed Dr. Shekhar.
According to Dinesh Lodha, vice president, GE Healthcare, the Innova flat panel cath lab system is the world's most advanced cardiovascular imaging system enabling cardiologists to clearly visualize the fine blood vessels from the heart to the leg for both diagnostic and procedures and during placement of interventional devices.
GE has already made around 25 installations with Innova 2100 across the country but the one at The Bangalore Hospital is the second in Karnataka.
Dr. R Subba Rao, chief cardio thoracic surgeon, The Bangalore Hospital, stated that Innova 2100 will now provide quality images indicating the obstruction of blood vessels with accurate information.
There are around 30 cath labs in the Bangalore. It is estimated that one cath lab can cater to 2 lakh population and there is need for many more such cardiac digital imaging labs. Bangalore is becoming a hotbed for cardiac problems, said Dr. Aswath N Rao, chief cardiologist, The Bangalore Hospital.
The Bangalore Hospital, a unit of Sushruta Medical Aid and Research Hospital Ltd., is also investing Rs 105 crore for a retirement settlement project titled SUVIDHA (Sushruta Vishranthi Dhama), which includes a full-fledged medical centre. The funds are raised by the promoters of the project who constitute professionals including doctors.