Metropolis Health Services, India's leading corporate chain in diagnostics, jointly with ETA Stars, a Dubai based three billion dollar construction company has set up 'Star Metropolis', a internationally acclaimed laboratory in Dubai. The laboratory would be operational from next month, said the Metropolis sources.

Speaking to Pharmabiz, Dr. Sushil Shah, founder and chairman, Metropolis, said, "It is a Metropolis dream to set up a chain of internationally acclaimed laboratories across the world. ETA, which is a construction company, wanted to enter the Health Care segment in a big way. Therefore, with this joint venture we have set up world class laboratory in Dubai. We want to make Middle East our operational hub. There are plans to set Multiple and satellite laboratories across Middle East. The multiple laboratories will be monitored from Dubai."

ETA plans to set up two hospitals. These hospitals would be managed by Metropolis, revealed Dr. G.S.K Velu, Managing Director, Metropolis. Speaking about the future plans of the company, Dr. Velu said that the company is planning to acquire pathology labs with brand equity in Calcutta and Hyderabad. Each of the acquisition would be of about Rs 5-8 crore. About Rs 15 crore raised from the fund would be utilised for setting up an exclusive advanced path lab at the Chennai facility of Metropolis.

The company has several acquisition plans for the future. There are five more acquisitions; domestic and international, in pipeline, said the sources. Also, there are plans for the development in Clinical research, site management and lab support for pharma companies and CROs.

"In the immediate future, we are looking at acquisition opportunities in Domestic and International Markets. In the past two years we have successfully acquired and integrated several leading laboratories in India. We are pursuing opportunities for direct presence in Middle East, South and South East Asia and Africa apart from looking for Outsourcing opportunities from the developed markets. We are also looking at expanding our Site Management Organization Division and Clinical Research Central Lab Testing segments to be leaders in these segments in Asia," said Dr. Velu.

Metropolis Health Services (India) Pvt. Ltd. is a pioneer in the referral laboratory field with more than 25 years of existence and has become a corporate chain of diagnostics centres with 9 state-of-the-art laboratories across India. It caters to more than 3,000 small labs, nursing homes and hospitals and more than 10,000 consultants all over India. Its operations include referral laboratory services, radiology/ imaging, management of hospital diagnostic services, home health services, heath check ups / preventive health services and clinical trials.