The Thrissur-based Sitaram Ayurveda Pharmacy Ltd, the first Ayurvedic company in the country to get WHO-GMP certification and the first in south India to get ISO 90001:2000, has decided to set up a first of its kind comprehensive Ayurveda super specialty hospital in the country.

Envisaged as an eight storied hospital and to be operational within two years, the Rs.10 crore Sitaram Ayurveda Super Specialty hospital would come up at the Veliyannur premises of Sitaram, said Dr D Ramanathan, managing director and chief physician at Sitaram Ayurveda Pharmacy Ltd., in an exclusive interview with Pharmabiz.

The 100-bedded hospital will have eight specialty divisions in accordance with the Ayurveda sasthras in Kaya (General Medicine), Bala (Gynecology and pediatrics), Gritha (Manasika), Udanga (ENT & Dentistry), Shalya (Surgery), Agatha Thanthra (Toxicology), Jera (Geriatrics) and Vrisha (Rejuvenation). Already Sitaram has set up a two year old Sitaram Ayurveda Specialty Hospital at the same premises with infrastructure in accordance to the Good Clinical Practices (GCP) norms, and has divisions in Kaya Chikitsa (General Medicine), Salakya (Ophthalmology and ENT), Prasodhi and Balachikitsa (Obstetrics and Gynaecology) and Vajeekarana (infertility), in addition to a full fledged operation theatre for minor surgeries in fistula and piles. The hospital, which has an inpatient facility for 12, also offers classical panchakarma treatment and has an exclusive dentistry wing, the first of its kind in south India.

Dr Ramanathan said Sitaram, which has set up two Ayurvedic specialty centres at Mayur Vihar in Delhi and at Vile Parle in Mumbai, would soon start similar centres in Bangalore, Himachal Pradesh and in Tamil Nadu. Further, a new specialty hospital will come up at Kochi within two weeks.

Dr Ramanathan said the 85-year-old Sitaram has remodeled its emblem with 'Ashtadalam', a symbolic representation of the eight branches of Ayurveda. The modern manufacturing unit of Sitaram Ayurveda Pharmacy Ltd. at Panamukku near Thrissur was set up at a cost of over Rs.5 crore in a 42,000 sq.ft premises and has more than 80 employees. It has capacity to produce 3 lakh litre oils and 500 tonnes of various syrups, lehyams, tablets and Kashayams annually. Sitaram has over 32-patented Ayurvedic medicines and over 600 Ayurvedic products. Sitaram has a network of over 380 agencies and numerous direct sales outlets in the country.