A hospital with all facilities and for exclusively treating Japanese Expatriates in Chennai, will be functional soon. The Chennai based healthcare group, Deepam Hospitals is taking the initiative for this end and they have submitted a proposal in this regard to the government of Japan.

Dr C J. Vetrivel, the project director of Deepam Hospitals has said this while participating in a lecture series program organized by Nichi-In Centre for Regenerative Medicine (NCRM), an Indo Japan Joint venture institute working on research and storage of stem cells.

Later while interacting with Pharmabiz, he said the hospital will have doctors and paramedical staffs from Japan and telemedicine facilities will be introduced to interact with senior physicians in various Japanese hospitals. Kyorim University of Tokyo will provide technical support to the hospital and the facilities of Deepam Hospitals will also be utilized for this. The hospital will be functional in March 2011. However discussions on some more areas are yet to finish, Dr Vetrivel told Pharmabiz.

He said the number of Japanese population in Chennai has increased very much in recent years and this attempt will help increase the relation between the two countries. Another director, Dr A Pandian said in the initial stage, the hospital will be six bedded one and gradually it will grow into the level of a multi-speciality hospital. He said the healthcare group’s another branch, a 250 bedded speciality hospital, will become functional at Pallavaram in January next year.

Dr A Annamalai, managing director of Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Medical Sciences, Kancheepuram said his institute will start student exchange programs with Japanese Universities soon. Along with IMA-Tamil Nadu branch, the Institute of Medical Sciences will initiate steps to promote research and academic collaborations with Japanese Universities besides adopting health care delivery systems and social welfare schemes between the two nations.

The lecture series highlighting the synergy in healthcare systems between India and Japan, was inaugurated by the deputy general of Japan, Takayuki Kitagawa and the first lecture was delivered by Prof Hiroharu Matsuda, chairman, Kyorim University, Japan. He said he was impressed by the hospitals in Chennai and the affordable healthcare costs in India compared to that of Japan. He said that his university was open for foreign students for study and research. He also lauded the proposal made by Deepam hospitals to start an exclusive hospital for Japanese expatriates in Chennai.

The chief guest, Takayuki Kitagawa appreciated the proposal of such an exclusive healthcare institution for Japanese expats. Dr Prakash, director of Star Health Insurance, Chennai, Dr T.N. Ravishankar, general secretary, Indian Medical Association, Tamil Nadu State Branch and Dr Abraham Samuel, director of NCRM also spoke on the occasion. Dr Abraham said the next lecture in the series will be held soon.