Kolkata, Oct 4 (PTI) Leading healthcare service chains and private equity firms remained bullish on the eastern sector, with Manipal Hospitals and Medica Hospital saying they are lining up investment to raise capacity in West Bengal and adjoining states.
The approximate investment from both the hospitals is estimated at around Rs 1400 crore, while other hospitals said they are scouting for opportunities.
Meanwhile, the state government sought the hospital chain’s intervention for partnership in delivering affordable healthcare to the masses.
During his first visit to Kolkata after the takeover of AMRI Hospitals, Dilip Jose, the Managing Director and CEO of Manipal Hospitals, stated on the sidelines of the 17th Healthcare East conference organised by the CII that they are aiming to establish at least three more hospitals in the east, potentially adding another 1,000 beds.
Manipal Hospitals now has a capacity of 2,000 beds after the takeover of AMRI, which had 1,200 beds. It has 300 beds at the Salt Lake facility which was previously part of Columbia Asia hospitals network that they took over in 2021, besides having 500 beds in Sikkim.
According to estimates, the ballpark investment for the three hospitals could be around Rs 1,000 crore, as each hospital will have more than 250 beds, and the tentative investment for a 250-bedded hospital is Rs 300 crore, excluding land and buildings.
Meanwhile, Medica Hospitals co-founder and joint managing director Ayanabh Debgupta said the hospital has embarked on expansion in Kolkata, Siliguri, Asansol, and Kalinganagar in Odisha.
“We are investing Rs 400 crore in Kolkata, Siliguri, Asansol, and Kalinganagar. We are raising our bed capacity to 1,500 beds from 1,200 beds now. However, we are now focusing on cancer care and the majority of the new capacities are in cancer care. It can be offered in daycare facilities, which means lower bed requirements but higher patient turnaround,” Debgupta said.
City-based Charnock Hospital managing director Prashant Sharma said they are looking to expand aggressively in more locations. Narayana Health is also scouting for expansion, including acquisitions.
Singapore’s sovereign investment company Temasek, directly and through its group funds, remains bullish on healthcare and, without divulging numbers, said it has significant exposure to the sector.
Temasek is the majority shareholder in Manipal Hospitals and one of its group funds, Sheares, holds 90 per cent of Medica Hospitals.
Another PE fund, Anicut vice-president Adithya Bharadwaj, also said that they remain bullish on the healthcare sector. PE funds expect investment in healthcare to double every four to five years.
Meanwhile, state health secretary N S Nigam asked healthcare providers to move from curative to preventive healthcare and also called for strong partnerships in providing secondary and primary healthcare.
While large hospital chains remain open to the idea, there was no visible roadmap for this. PTI BSM NN
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