The Bangalore-based Nova Medical Centres Pvt Ltd, the first ambulatory surgery centre (ASC) network in the country which has plans to set up 100 centres in the country within next four years, is evaluating options to tie up with major hospitals in various parts of the nation for mutual benefits.

The company, which has commenced its operations in India in May 2009, has tied up a non profit-sharing partnership with Medanta, one of India’s largest multi speciality healthcare institute promoted by renowned cardiologist, Dr Naresh Trehan, for mutual support in surgery related practices and care, said Girish Rao, managing director and chief executive officer, Nova Medical Centres.

As per the terms of the tie up, Medanta will offer pre and post surgery care on need basis to Nova’s ASC in Delhi, through its Medicity - the former’s flagship multi-specialty hospital. Nova will refer patients who are unfit for same day surgery to Medicity. In return, physicians in Medicity can visit the ASC for practice. The system will ensure that even the complications before and after surgery, which occurs rarely in ASCs, will be addressed efficiently, said Rao.

“We think that the day care surgery centres are not a threat to regular hospitals, but has a supplementary role in healthcare. We are evaluating the option to tie up with local hospitals for the centres we are coming up in other cities too,” he added.

Nova is planning to set up 100 centres in various parts of the country in next four years and has figured out the phase one project to launch 25 centres in 10 major cities within December, 2011 with a total investment of Rs 250 crore, allocating Rs 10 crore per centre. Till date, the company has opened four centres, two at Bangalore and near-by area, one in Mumbai and another one in New Delhi. Plans are to open one more centres each in Mumbai and New Delhi soon.

The company has already conducted over 350 surgeries in areas including general surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, orthopedics, ENT, ophthalmology, plastic and cosmetic surgery, pediatric surgery, urology, gastrointestinal procedures and dental. The model of ambulatory surgery, which allows a parson to return home on the same day that a surgical procedure is performed, has delivered satisfactory results in western countries and the experience is same in India, said Dr Chitranjan S Ranawat, the renowned orthopedic and knee surgeon and a partner in Nova Medical Centres.

The model is cost saving for both healthcare firms and the patients, as the ASCs are designed to work in comparatively smaller facilities and offers almost 20 per cent benefits to the patients in treatment cost. The system received a tremendous response in US, since its launch nearly 30 years back, and almost 75 per cent of the surgeries in the country is handled through ASCs at present.

Similar evolution could be seen in India in next few years and many more players would be coming to the platform of same-day surgery sector, added Dr Ranawat. The physicians for Nova’s centres would be selected through referral system, and the surgeons would be from the top 10 percent of doctors, said Dr Mahesh Reddy, consultant Shoulder Specialist and a partner in Nova Medical Centres.