Apollo Hospitals and Madras Medical Mission (MMM) have signed separate agreements with the Tamil Nadu Road Development Corporation (TNRDC) to set up trauma care centers on the East Coast Road, the newly laid out national highway between Chennai and Cuddalore. While Apollo Hospitals would be setting up its proposed trauma care centre at Uthandi in between the Chennai and Mahabalipuram stretch of the highway, MMM is to set up its trauma care centre near Pondicherry.

The two hospital giants inked the agreement after the TNRDC came out with its proposal to provide medical and insurance cover to the users of the highway keeping in line with the similar process in the West where users of highway are given medical and life insurance cover. The corporation had invited Expressions of Interest (EOI) for setting up trauma care centers. Though some major hospitals based in Chennai had pitched in for the offer in the initial days, Apollo Hospitals and MMC remained the only two in the fray after subsequent scrutiny of feasibility reports.

According to TNRDC sources, both Apollo Hospitals and MMC have asked for 1000 sq ft and 500 sq ft of land for setting up the trauma care centers. "The land acquisition process is likely to conclude within the next couple of months. We are in the process of acquiring land for the purpose near Uthandi and Pondicherry as per the request of the hospitals," a senior TNRDC official told Pharmabiz.com.

While refusing to disclose when the centers would be set up, sources in Apollo Hospitals and MMC respectively claimed that, "It would depend on the land acquisition speed". "We are eager to see the centre functioning at the earliest. The state-of-the-centre would be manned by trauma care experts of the hospital," said the Apollo Hospital source. The MMC source however refrained from mentioning anything on the issue.

Though major hospitals in the metro and also in the state, have evinced interest in setting up trauma care centers on the highways abutting the state, it is for the first time that an agreement has been inked to this effect. The Tamil Nadu government, it can be recalled, had expressed interest in private participation for setting up trauma care centers on the national highway but not many hospitals jumped for the offer.

The TNRDC is the nodal agency for the 165 km national highway project, between Chennai and Cuddalore, which is expected to be extended upto Kanyakumari. The idea of setting up the trauma care centers is part of the TNRDC's objective to offer the ECR users best of services in line with international standards. The corporation is also mulling at the possibility of providing insurance cover for road users.