Hyderabad, the healthcare capital of India, is attracting even foreign companies to set up hospitals here. Northwest BEC Corpn, a geriatric healthcare provider in the US, is planning to start a 300-bed geriatric hospital and research centre in Hyderabad, at an estimated cost of $6 million. The Singapore-based Pacific Healthcare Holdings has already signed an MoU to open a 150-bed maternity hospital and a stem cell research centre in the city with an investment of Rs 25 crore in the first phase. The government of Andhra Pradesh has allotted 100 acres of land for the hospital-cum-research project.

According to Dannis Adamson, Chief Executive Officer of Northwest BEC Corpn, the geriatric hospital will cater exclusively to the medical needs of the aged. It will be located close to the Hitech City in Madhapur and the facility will be ready in the next one year. The company is still in the process of identifying a site for the hospital. "We expect the state government to help us and provide us with some suitable land," Adamson said.

Northwest had roped in an Indian partner, Promantra Synergy Solutions Ltd, a Hyderabad-based firm. While the joint venture would create infrastructure and handle daily operations of the hospital, the funding would be totally done by the US company, which would invest $6 million for the project. The hospital would also house a research centre, he said.

Affordability would be a key issue for many patients with the company planning to introduce facilities and treatment on its model in the US. Without specifying the details of the cost of treatment, Dr Adamson said, "It is not going to be more expensive than the corporate hospitals in Hyderabad."

In the US about 96 % of the cost of treatment for the aged is borne by the Federal Government. The company provides geriatric treatment to more than 1,500 aged people in the US. " We are studying the Indian market," he said.

He said the company would also be setting up a business process outsourcing centre in the city and had tied up with Promantra for the BPO business. The two companies had launched a joint venture for the BPO initiative and the US company would be the first customer.

According to Praveen Vadlamudi, CEO of Promantra, the joint venture would initially have a 30-seat facility at the Cyber Gateway building in Madhapur. The company would be investing Rs 2.5 crore in this financial year which is expected to increase to Rs 12 crore in the next year.

Adamson said, "The BPO centre will enable us to shift 35 crore processes in our US business to India, which will free the registered nurses who are currently involved in the paperwork for our hospitals to go back to providing healthcare."