The Hindu Business Line : Metropolis, Star Clinics tie up

Chennai, Nov. 2 Metropolis Health Services, a chain of diagnostic centres with a presence across the country, has tied up with Star Clinics, a primary healthcare clinic chain present in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, to set up labs/sample collection centres at Star Clinics’ premises.

Metropolis will invest about Rs 10 crore over the next 2 years to cover over 100 clinics that Star Clinics proposes to set up.

Setting up a pathology focused lab costs about Rs 20 lakh (spread over 700-900 sq ft) while a collection centre costs about Rs 5 lakh, said Mr G.S.K. Velu, Managing Director, Metropolis Health Services.

The revenue sharing arrangement between both companies is yet to be worked out, Mr Velu said.

Star Clinics, the sister company of Star Health and Allied Insurance launched in May, currently operates a multi-specialty hospital at Chennai with plans to set up about 40 clinics across India by March.

The company is investing about Rs 10 crore to set up these ‘simple speciality’ outpatient clinics with doctors offering consultancy in gynaecology, cardiology and paediatrics. Telemedicine facilities would be also available at these clinics.

The company also plans to open two more multi specialty hospitals in Chennai.

Metropolis and Star Clinics also plan to extend their partnership to introduce an insurance scheme (through Star Health and Allied Insurance) covering the diagnostic component of healthcare, Mr Velu said.

“We would like to offer this scheme to cover radiology services too that we are strengthening focus on,” he said at a press conference on Friday.