Offering accesibility to quality medicines, healthcare major Fortis today announced its retail health store chain with 1,000 shops in 400 towns of the country by 2012.Fortis HealthWorld, a joint venture of Ranbaxy Laboratories and Fortis Healthcare, would open health stores which will be like a one stop shop offering health products for the entire family, Malvinder Mohan Singh, CEO & MD, Ranbaxy Laboratories, here said."We are entering the retail business and investing Rs 800 crore in the retail stores, covering over 400 towns. The launch of the chain of retail shops shows our clear intent and desire to bring healthcare closer to the people across the country on affordable prices," he said after unveiling the Fortis HealthWorld logo.The stores will offer prescription drugs, health supplements, health foods, alternate medicines, home and personal care products and a pathology lab collection centre."We are extending one more arm in the healthcare sector. There was a gap in this field as patients were looking for medicines, which are not spurious. We are providing them that place which is easily accessible. People need not go to a hospital for a blood test or to buy quality medicines," Shivinder Singh, CEO & MD, Fortis, said.We hope to open 1,000 shops by 2012, he said."The stores will run round the clock and would give customers value-added services like prescription reminder service, loyalty programs, OPD appointments in our hospitals and free home delivery," he said.
