The P D Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Mumbai is expanding its capacity by adding 250 beds in the next two years which will make the total capacity of the hospital to 600 beds.

The hospital will demolish the more than two-decade old structure, which currently houses OPD section and offices of the hospital staff, to make way for a new multi-storey building to add 250 beds to its existing 350-bed capacity.

"The old building of four floors will be demolished and a new multi-storey building will be built in its place. The project will take a couple of years to complete. We are still planning the project. We would be having around 250 beds in the new building which will increase our hospital's bed capacity to 600," said Vijay Gupta, marketing head, P D Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Centre.

Once the project starts in the old building, OPD section will be shifted to a rented building behind it, Gupta informed.

Gen Naresh Vij, director, Projects and Engineering of the hospital, said, "The project is in a very pre-mature stage to give any specific details about the hospital expansion plans. We are expanding to cater to the increasing need."

Under surgery, the hospital has cardiothoracic, dental, ENT, gastroenterology, general surgery, gynaecology, minimal access surgery, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, paediatric surgery, peripheral vascular surgery, plastic surgery and urology departments. Apart from these the hospital also has allergy clinic, cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, general medicine, nephrology, neurology, cancer, psychiatry, pulmonology, rheumatology and paediatrics departments.

"We already have all the required departments so we are planning just to expand them all," he informed. Further, on the details about the number of floors in the new building, he said the structure's plan is under process. "It is very uncertain at this moment. Today, if I say that there would be seven floors, it may differ tomorrow and it may be nine floors."

"Funds for the project would be raised from some institutions since it is a big project. But it is difficult to specify the sources of the fund," Gen Vij added.

Parmanand Hinduja started 'Seth Deepchand Gangaram Hinduja Health Care' in 1951. Later, in 1976 it was renamed as the 'PD Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Centre' as a tribute to the founder.