A 200-bed state-of-the-art hospital, Asian Institute of Gastroenterology is being set up by the Asian Health Care Foundation Trust at Hyderabad, which will be the biggest of its kind in Asia catering to gastro-specific ailments. The hospital would serve people belonging to all the economic classes.

Leading Gastroenterologists in the world are likely to extend their expertise, in addition to 20 other consultants. The hospital would employ over 400 staff, and would have 1:3 doctor-patient ratio. The hospital would conduct research on gastro diseases and had already initiated tie-ups with institutes like North Western University, UTMS (Texas) and Erasme Hospital (Belgium). Efforts would be made to discover vaccines for hepatitis and ulcers.

It would also offer Post Graduate courses in Gastroenterology. Clinical trials can be undertaken for diseases such as liver cancer and jaundice at the Institute. The Trust would pump in around Rs.90 crore for the hospital, which is likely to be operational by February, this year.