Madras Medical Mission plans Rs 100-cr hospital

Hospital and research training centre Madras Medical Mission (MMM) is planning to expand its services by setting up a multi-speciality hospital near its Mogappair premises in Chennai.

With an investment of around Rs 100 crore in the first phase, excluding land costs, MMM is planning to house around 150-200 beds in an area of approximately four acres.

"It would take another 12-18 months for the hospital to start functioning. It will have three units, one each for trauma care, neurological disorders and pediatrics," said A John Punnoose, CEO, MMM.

In addition to this, MMM is all set to start a nursing college in Chennai, also near its Mogappair premises. This college will begin functioning from the next academic year.

"It will be affiliated to MGR Deemed University and we are planning to admit around 100 students for the BSc nursing course," said EJ Thomas, treasurer, MMM.

MMM has made initial investments of around Rs 140 crore in its 40-acre Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, a 500-bed multispecialty hospital, which currently offers undergraduate medical and paramedical courses.

It is planning to invest an additional Rs 5-10 crore in upgrading these courses. It will also start courses at the postgraduate level from the next academic year at an investment of around Rs 6 crore.

Replying to a query on infrastructural facilities, he said, "We import our high-end equipment from a few countries, which include China and Germany. As for future tie ups, we would like to look at collaborations with foreign universities."

The Rs 300-crore hospital, research and training centre, which is into its 25th year of existence, spends Rs 10 crore on free and subsidised treatment annually. On an average, 25 percent of MMM's facilities are used by foreign nationals, with a majority of them coming from Tanzania.