International hospital chain Columbia Asia Hospital Pvt. Ltd. which entered India through Foreign Direct Investment route is now gearing up to commission three hospitals in the country this year. Beginning with its second facility in Bangalore which will be ready in March, the hospital major will also open facilities in Kolkatta and Gurgaon. For the Kolkatta facility, it has teamed up with Navketan Nursing Homes and in Gurgaon, Columbia Asia will be a standalone operation.

For all these new projects including the one which is already operational since 2005 as the Columbia Asia Medical Centre at Hebbal, Bangalore, an investment of $47 million has been set aside, Dr Nandakumar Jairam, Chairman and Group Medical Director, Columbia Asia Hospital Pvt. Ltd. told Pharmabiz.

The second new facility in Bangalore is a 175-bed referral hospital with several specialty services including digestive diseases, cardiology, neurology, urology, vascular diseases, endocrinology, pulmonology, transplants, reconstructive surgery, cosmetology besides high risk pregnancies, neo natal and paediatrics. It will also offer minimal invasive surgeries (MIS) in urology, endocrinology and Bariartic Surgery for obesity. The facility is also equipped for emergency and trauma. It has full fledged laboratory- radiology wings along with a referral diagnostic centre.

The hospital is hiring almost 60 per cent of the doctors who are part of the reverse brain drain segment. "Going by the specialized surgical offerings at the second facility in Bangalore, we are primarily looking at excellence and expertise in training which is not always available in the country," explained Dr Jairam.

While attracting specialists and junior doctors is not a problem, hiring scene on the nursing and paramedical front is a challenge. In the case of nursing sector, it is a case of high attrition rates across all hospitals. Among paramedical staff, there is a huge variation in terms of training which differs in each institution, explained Dr Jairam.

The two-year-old 90-bed facility of Columbia Asia Medical Centre at Hebbal, which mainly targets the middle income groups is known for its affordability and clean environment. Almost 14 per cent of the admissions are from abroad representing Africa, Caribbean and Bangladesh.

According to Dr Jairam, healthcare in India is on the threshold of a change. Patients now have a choice of hospitals and service quality supported by health insurance which would be the key growth drivers of the sector.

Disease patterns have changed with infectious diseases being replaced by life style disorders which is highly prevalent in the urban areas and now catching up in the rural sector. Today's hospitals are equipped with the latest technology and manned by highly skilled medical experts where telemedicine and medical robotics are the defining parameters in service offering.

Although India is known for its low cost of healthcare, the country's expertise and standards in medical education are varied. The only way to assure the world of India's hi-tech hospital infrastructure and medical expertise is to by directing healthcare providers to adhere to the accreditation norms. Only certifications can assure the global patient pool on the service and quality standards, added Dr Jairam.