The Mumbai-based kidney stone speciality hospital R G Stone Urology and Laproscopy Hospital is investing Rs 21 crore for setting up 15 more kidney centres in different hospitals across India. The new centres are expected to become operational by September 2008.

The company will be installing Lithotripsy technology at each kidney centre of these hospitals. The company has a kidney speciality hospital at Khar, Mumbai. At present, the Hospital has set up kidney centres at different hospitals in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Ludhiyana, Bangalore, Jaipur, Agra, Mohali and Goa. For expansion, the company has identified hospitals in Gurgaon, Kolkata (Salt Lake), Mumbai (Mira Road, Vashi and Mulund), Lucknow, Varansi, Aurangabad, Gujarat, Hyderabad and Kerala.

In an interaction with Pharmabiz, Manish Bansal, joint managing director, R G Stone Hospital, said, "Till now we have signed several MoUs and joint venture agreements with leading hospitals in India and few are in the pipeline. Under the MoU, we will be setting up kidney centres in the existing hospital premises. Treatment for kidney stone, laser cancer and prostate cancer will be carried out in these centres".

The company will be offering latest medical techniques for kidney stone disease--lithotripsy, endourology, holmium laser and laparoscopy, and also for gallstone disease, hernia, fibroids and other gynaecological diseases. The holmium laser treatment will be for enlargement of prostate, stricture and bladder tumours. It will also cater other admission and nursing care facilities for radiology and ultrasonography with hi tech pathology laboratory.

The hospital has already set up its lithotripsy technology at Hiramongi Hospital in Mulund, Mumbai and is in the process of signing another technology agreement with Hyderabad based Sigma Hospital. At present it employs 140 people and it is planning to strengthen its existing manpower in another 2-3 months time. During 2006-07, its annual turnover reached Rs 22 crore and it is targeting to touch Rs 100 crore in the current fiscal. "By the end of 2010 we will be having 100 centres across India. We are also looking out international presence at Mauritius in the near future".