Kuala Lampur-based multinational hospital chain Columbia Asia plans to set up hospitals in all the four metros and Tier I-II cities across India over the next two years.
"Within next two years we would have presence in all metros, Tier I and Tier II cities of India. We would like to be in a position where we are competitive in numbers with other hospital chains," Columbia Asia Hospitals Chief Executive Officer Tufan Ghosh told PTI.
He, however, refrained from quoting the exact number of hospitals it plans to set up or the investment it would make.
Ghosh added that the company has also entered into an agreement with real estate major DLF, under which it would set up its hospital in all townships developed by the real estate group. He, however, refused to tell anything about the locations identified for the project.
At present, Columbia Asia has four hospitals in the country, two hospitals Bangalore, one in Kolkata and one at Gurgaon, inaugurated this week.
"We have around 600 rooms available at present taking together the four hospitals. The new hospitals which are to come up during next two years would have on average around 100 rooms each," Ghosh said.
He said the firm is targetting the growing middle-class and upper middle-class market where demand for speciality treatment is high. "Our focus is on community based treatment and 85 per cent of our patients are from areas located within half an hours distance from the hospital," Ghosh added.