Columbia Asia, one of the largest hospital systems in Southeast Asia and India, is slated to invest another Rs.911 crore ($150 million) to expand its network to 34 hospitals and one clinic by 2018.

The company currently has more than 8,000 employees serving more than 2 million patients a year in 26 hospitals and one clinic in Malaysia, India, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Columbia Asia opened four new hospitals just in the last few months at Jakarta, Semarang in Indonesia, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.

In the next four years, the healthcare major will open eight more hospitals: three in Malaysia, three in India and two in Indonesia.

The strategy is to create clusters of hospitals in large urban areas. This allows the group to achieve operational and brand leverage across the market in each large city. Around the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, for example, the company currently has five hospitals, a sixth to open in 2016 and a seventh to open in 2017.

To manage the growth of Columbia Asia, John Northen was recently hired to serve as chief executive officer, of the 4-country hospital network. Northen comes to Columbia Asia with several decades of experience in the hospitality industry, including six years as vice president for Marriott International in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

“Since opening our first hospital in 1994, Columbia Asia has grown to become one of the most trusted names in healthcare across Asia,” said Northen, chief executive officer, Columbia Asia Group of Companies.

“No other healthcare provider in Asia has hospitals in as many countries operating under a single brand,” he added. . Columbia Asia, part of US-based Columbia Pacific Management, has 27 facilities across Malaysia, India, Vietnam and Indonesia, and plans for 8 new hospitals by 2018.