Cholayil Sanjeevanam, a modern nature cure multiplex set up by the Chennai-based Cholayil group, will be starting a guesthouse cum wellness centre in the lines of corporate allopathic hospitals in Chennai with an investment of around Rs One crore. The facility will be coming up in a 7000 sq ft building taken on lease by Sanjeevanam.

The proposed facility will have a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, fitness centre, business centre, kitchen and authentic ayurvedic rejuvenation centre. Currently the building is being refurnished to provide state of the art ambience.

"Now only the allopathic corporate hospitals have the five class look. But our guesthouse cum ayurvedic wellness centre will be at par with them. We will even have a business centre in the premises, which the corporate customers can use. If needed art and culture programmes will also be conducted," said KHS Manian, senior vice president, business support, Cholayil Sanjeevanam.

Sanjeevanam also has plans to set up a centre in the Middle East and many corporate companies have evinced interest in becoming a partner in this new facility. Even in this proposed centre, there would not be any treatment for chronic illnesses, but there would packages for obesity etc. Manian said that at present it was impossible to reveal the investment and share ratio as nothing had been finalized yet.

"It is impossible to set up health centres abroad easily as we need to get clearance from the Food and Drug Administration department, permission from the respective health department etc. So we will be setting up the wellness centre there initially," said Dr P T Chacko, chief medical officer, Cholayil Sanjeevanam. Sanjeevanam also has plans to venture into Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Calicut etc.

Speaking about a pipeline project to set up a multi specialty hospital in Chennai, Manian said that it is expected to come up within two years and the search for a suitable land was on. "Considering the atmosphere needed for setting up an ayurveda hospital we are looking for suitable land in the rural areas. But if we don't get it in the suburbs then we will build it in the city itself," added Manian. The new ayurvedic hospital will have also have a dedicated allopathic wing.

Sanjeevanam has also applied for ISO certification and are expecting to receive it by January 2007.