Rising demand sparks expansion of women, child care services by hospitals

Hospital sector insiders say that there is rising demand for specialised maternal and child healthcare services such as obstetrics, gynaecology, infertility, neonatology, and paediatrics

Sensing high demand for specialised women and child healthcare services, hospitals are ramping up new centres, expanding workforce and adding more super-specialities into their fold.

Healthcare sector insiders say the demand for specialised maternal and child services like obstetrics, gynecology, infertility, neonatology and pediatrics is on the rise.

Leading hospital chain Aster DM recently announced the launch of its new Women & Children Hospital in Hyderabad.

The 300-bed, state-of-the-art facility will address the unique healthcare needs of women and children of all ages.

It will be the group's second such hospital, alongside its existing facility in Bengaluru. 

Aster DM Healthcare is investing around Rs 220 crore in this project, spanning over 300,000 square feet.

Phase 1 is expected to be completed by mid-FY26, with the hospital fully operational by the last quarter of 2026.

“Beyond just curative treatments, the unit will provide preventive healthcare and wellness programmes for women and children. There will be a clear focus on early screening and vaccinations, nutrition counselling and health education,” An Aster DM Healthcare spokesperson said.

The hospital chain is also recruiting medical experts in these therapy areas, and setting up multi-disciplinary teams (including sub-specialists), as well as training its personnel.

Bengaluru-based Sparsh Hospital said it has experienced a growth of 35 per cent in its child and women care unit over the past two years.

As part of its expansion, Sparsh is adding specialised services such as pediatric urology, cardiology, and gynecological oncology.

Additionally, it is enhancing neonatal care and developing specialised infrastructure for high-risk pregnancies and complex cases, with over 10 subspecialties focused on women and child health.

“In the future, we aim to further integrate multidisciplinary care for women and children. We will ensure that in complex cases requiring urologists, plastic surgeons, gastroenterologists, or other specialists, we can offer comprehensive care under one roof,” said Joseph Pasangha, group chief operating officer (COO), Sparsh Group of Hospitals. 

Sparsh plans to open two new units in Hennur and South Bengaluru, doubling bed capacity to 300 from 150 currently.

The focus is on expanding women and child care, with a 20-25 per cent capex increase for advanced facilities.

The company said it plans to expand the unit team by adding up to 150 doctors by FY25, focusing on infertility care and pediatric subspecialties. 

Meanwhile, Trichy-based Kauvery Hospitals plans to expand Maa Kauvery Women & Child Care Hospital into high-risk pregnancy care, urogynecology, uro-oncology, IVF services, and fetal medicine.

Pediatric services include bone marrow transplants, cardiac interventions, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). 

“We offer advanced paediatric care, comprehensive women’s health services, school health programmes, and early fetal medicine interventions to ensure health and safety for mothers and children. We currently have 70-100 doctors at Maa Kauvery and plan to recruit more specialists based on our expansion into new regions and facilities by FY25,” said Dr Senguttuvan Duraisamy, co-founder and executive director, chief paediatrician, Kauvery Hospital.

Kauvery further plans to expand Maa Kauvery in Chennai, Bengaluru, and Tier-II cities. It will invest in infrastructure, new speciality wings, and cutting-edge technology for enhanced patient care. 

Motherhood Hospital, which offers services from gynaecological care to specialised neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and paediatric intensive care unit (PICU), plans to enter Kolkata soon.

“We are actively seeking strategic partnerships to capitalise on the exciting opportunities presented by emerging healthcare markets in India,” said Vijayarathna Venkatraman, chief executive officer (CEO), Motherhood Hospitals.

Currently, housing over 880 doctors specialising in paediatric and women’s health, Motherhood plans to expand the number by FY25.

“This will involve hiring both experienced specialists and medical talent across various sub-specialties. It will ensure that we continue to provide world-class healthcare to women and children,” added Venkatraman. 

According to the UN MMEIG 2020 report, “Trends in maternal mortality 2000 to 2020”, the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of India has declined from 384 in 2000 to 103 in 2020. Global MMR has declined from 339 in 2000 to 223 in 2020.

The average annual rate of reduction (ARR) in global MMR during 2000-2020 was 2.07 per cent while India’s MMR has declined by 6.36 per cent, which is higher than the global decline.

High demand
 

> Aster DM has launched 300-bed hospital in Hyderabad, plans to invest Rs 220 crore

> Sparsh plans to expand bed capacity to 300, invest 20-25% of capex in advanced facilities

> Kauvery plans to expand Maa Kauvery in Chennai, Bengaluru, and Tier-II cities

> Motherhood Hospital likely to enter Kolkata, hire more doctors by 2024-25