The Manipal Health Enterprises (MHE) has now prepared its blueprint for 2013-16. The healthcare major which has 5,000 beds is eyeing its next phase of growth via organic and inorganic paths to increase it to 7300 beds. This will also see MHE augment its revenues from the current Rs. 800 crore to Rs. 2,000 crore over the 18-24 months timeframe. By the end of 2012, it received a fund infusion of $180 million from India Value Fund Advisors.

The expansion of beds from its existing hospitals at Bengaluru would be 100, Goa: 200, Mangalore: 100 and Vijayawada: 110. There are Greenfield and Brownfield expansions underway. In Bengaluru it is looking at two locations for a Greenfield expansion at Whitefield and North Bengaluru. In addition, it is also looking at opportunities at Pune, Madhya Pradesh ad Orissa. MHE is keen to pursue its expansions at many of these locations and will adopt the strategy of asset light model and is open for acquisition opportunities in  Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka where it is already present.

“If we are able to get a sizable number of hospitals which is around three to four small-medium hospitals we will be able to ensure a fairly widespread presence in these locations,” said Rajen Padukone, managing director and  chief executive officer, MHE.

Moreover, Manipal University’s nine campuses are at Manipal, Mangalore, Bangalore, Goa, Sikkim, Nepal, Malaysia, UAE and Antigua and would look to  augment its presence at these locations.

Now MHE is looking to have 400 beds abroad. It is all set to acquire a 100-bed facility in Malaysia which could be increased to 200 beds. The company is exploring opportunities in Africa and Middle East.

MHE will continue its multi-specialty focus. It will look at further strengthening its capability in critical care, emergency medicine, oncology,  cardiology and nephrology-urology. We would offer an integrated system of care ensuring a fairly good network of capability in all hospitals. The objective is to ensure patients to access a dependable and nearest healthcare facility.

According to the MHE chief, healthcare has a poor presence in the central, north and north east of India. There is a need to invest in hospitals in these areas. Patients are seen travelling to south India for treatments. The hospitals in the southern states came up following the presence of leading medical colleges. Therefore, a medical institution is seen as an ideal platform to  establish a healthcare facility because of availability of doctors.

The MHE chief also said that medical tourism was seen to be a key area of growth even for Manipal and this segment constituted five per cent of its Rs. 800 crore revenues.

Expressing concern on the paucity of the doctors at in the rural areas, he said that medical students needed to have the adequate working exposure to semi rural areas during their study and the MBBS certificates should be handed only if they have put in a year of rural service. This would help to ensure the presence of medical expertise at rural areas and doctors could garner the required experience in rural care which is the core component of Indian healthcare.