Leading Asian hospital chain Columbia Asia Group will invest Rs 800 crore in India to set up eight new hospitals by 2012 and upgrade the existing ones.
The group plans to set up eight multi-speciality community hospitals with a total capacity of 800 beds by mid-2012.
At present, the group operates six hospitals, including a referral hospital, in the country. These are located in Bangalore (two hospitals), Mysore, Kolkata, Patiala and New Delhi with a total of 640 beds.
“Health services are booming in India and we see a huge growth in it. We will be investing around Rs 800 crore for the 14 hospitals,” Columbia Asia group chairman Rick Evans said. Currently, the group is building two 100-bed community hospitals in Ghaziabad and Chandigarh.
“Six more such hospitals are in the pipeline. All eight will be operational by mid-2012," Evans said.