Space Hospitals Ltd., a Chennai based telemedicine service provider, is planning to widen its services to the remote areas by connecting more hospitals and satellite medical centres throughout the country.

The company, which already provides its services to 14 major super specialty hospitals in India, is on a venture to deliver telemedicine services to 10 more major hospitals and around 10 big public sector organizations including a major satellite launching organization, within October 2006. Plans are also to establish 500 Satellite Medical Centres, 800 Telemedicine Centres and to add 40 regional associate hospitals within a year.

Space hospitals, with 50 satellite medical centres all over India and 4 regional associate hospitals in South India at present, is to expand with an expected investment of Rs 12 crore, within August 2007. The talks for tie up with hospitals to connect with their peripheral centres and with the public sector organizations are on final stage and cannot be revealed at the moment, commented Sanjay Bhardwaj, President and CEO, Space Hospitals. He said that the satellite centres are expected to cover every district headquarters of each state within the timeframe.

"At least 15 per cent of the patient-doctor consultation in India in the next five year will be switched over to telemedicine sector, and our vision is to pioneer the evolution. Our ultimate vision is to provide specialty healthcare service to the school children and the old people in remote villages through telemedicine," Sanjay told Pharmabiz.

The hospitals plans to launch mobile telemedicine units will be initiated with introduction of 10 units in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and other three states in North India, with an investment of Rs 10 lakh for each mobile unit. The company's plan is to launch two units for each state within a short period, and the feasibility test of the new facility is almost completed, added Sanjay.

The Space Hospitals, a division of Space Computer and Systems Ltd., has been launched in August 2005, expects a quantum leap to a turnover of Rs 35 crore from the current Rs.3 crore turnover by the end of the current financial year, expecting a major thrust from the new projects. The company also aims to enter into the international markets in Asian countries, Middle East and Africa, for which the groundwork will be started after three months, according to the company official.