Pacific Hospitals Pvt. Ltd. (PHPL), a joint venture of Singapore-based Pacific Healthcare Holdings Pte Ltd and Vitae Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., India, has set up an international medical centre at Hyderabad. The joint venture company has a team of doctors, scientists and other healthcare professionals. The medical centre is Pacific Healthcare's first venture in India.

According to Dr William Chong, executive chairman of Pacific Healthcare, The Rs 5-crore medical centre will provide multidisciplinary specialist healthcare services including paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, cosmetic surgery, dermatology, implant and aesthetic dentistry as well as comprehensive laboratory services and diagnostic radiology. The centre will also have a spa and will be managed by Haach-Pacific, a joint venture with Haach Holdings, a leading Singapore lifestyle and wellness company.

In addition to Pacific Medical Centre, PHPL is planning to establish other medical facilities. PHPL is setting up Pacific Women's and Children's Hospital at Gachibowli in Hyderabad. It has acquired five acres of land for this purpose. The hospital will have 150-bed capacity and will be specialised in Fetal-Maternal Medicine, Reproductive Medicine, Gynaecological Oncology, Neonatology and Paediatrics. PHPL will make an investment of Rs 20 crore towards this hospital. The Hospital is likely to be operational in next 18-14 months.

PHPL has also proposed to set up Pacific Stem Cell Bank, which will provide both private and public cord blood stem cell storage facilities, having clinical application in the treatment of blood cancers and other disorders. The Bank will be set up at Khajaguda Village in Hyderabad on Mumbai highway. The company is to invest Rs 5 crore for setting up this facility. The Bank will be operational by mid-2005.

The Stem Cell Bank will serve as repository for the collection, processing and storage of umbilical cord blood stem cells. There will be facilities for both private and public banking in order to provide stem cell based therapies. Research on use of stem cells can provide solutions to diseases such as leukemia, immune deficiencies and thalassaemia. The Bank will have tie-ups with international organisations working on stem cell research and technology.

The company has decided to set aside five per cent of the capacity of its proposed hospital for patients of low income group, who will be offered free healthcare services.

The Medical centre was formally inaugurated by Dr Tony Tan, deputy prime minister of Singapore on October 29, 2004 and foundation stone for the Hospital and Stem Cell Bank will be laid by Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy, chief minister of Andhra Pradesh.