The Hindu Business Line : Fortis plans ‘health cities’ in Rajasthan; looking for land

Fortis’ big plans: The Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ms Vasundhara Raje, greets the Fortis Healthcare Ltd Managing Director, Mr Shivinder Mohan Singh, at the ‘Resurgent Rajasthan – Investment Roadshow’ in the Capital on Friday. The FICCI President, Mr Habil Khorakiwala (second from left) is also seen. —

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New Delhi, Aug. 24 Fortis Healthcare is looking to acquire land for its planned healthcare projects in Rajasthan. “We are in the process of acquiring land, and are looking at about 50 acres hopefully near Jaipur,” Mr Shivinder Mohan Singh, CEO and Managing Director, Fortis Healthcare, told Business Line.

The company is proposing an investment of Rs 1,200 crore over a period of 10 years in healthcare projects across Rajasthan in a Public Private Partnership with the State Government.

The projects include two medical education hubs, and at least two or three super-speciality or multi-speciality hospitals across the State. The ‘health cities’ would comprise of 800-bed hospitals, and medical, nursing, and dental colleges, and offer clinical and basic research facilities, Mr Singh said.

The investment figure includes the Rs 110 crore that Fortis has committed to ‘Phase One’ of the Fortis Escorts Hospital Jaipur. The Ranbanxy-promoted company is to invest an additional Rs 90 crore in this project when ‘Phase Two’ rolls out in eight to nine months.

Mr Singh submitted the proposal to the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ms Vasundhara Raje, at a summit held in the capital on Friday. Dr Praneet Kumar, COO, Fortis Escorts Hospital Jaipur specified that the 10-year time period was so that the company’s medical education plans were in line with the Medical Council of India’s guidelines.

“Eighty per cent of this investment will be made in the first five to six years,” he said.