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New Delhi, Nov. 9 Fortis HealthWorld, the chain of health stores from the Ranbaxy Promoter Group, has tied up with US hearing aid maker Starkey for its Audible range and is looking to soon offer dental services at its Health stores too.

Mr Ashish Kirpal Pandit, CEO, Fortis HealthWorld, said the Audible shop-in-shop will also be established at sister company Fortis HealthCare’s hospitals. With regards to the dental services in the large stores which also have OPD and visiting doctors, Mr Pandit said “It would be a hub and spoke model, with the store dentist providing immediate relief and guiding you if necessary to a Fortis Hospital for more complicated procedures,” said Mr Pandit. The stores, which would account for 30 per cent of all its outlets, would also be equipped with ECG monitors.

The Audible shop-in-shop at the Green Park store will be launched officially on November 15, following which another will be set up at Gurgaon Fortis HealthWorld, said Dr Girija Sundar, Director of Business Development, Starkey Laboratories, India. Dr Sundar added that the model of a centre inside a health store chain was the first for Starkey anywhere in the world. The company does have outlets at larger retail stores like Wal-Mart in the US.

The company says that on an average 400-450 customers walk into their stores everyday. According to Mr Pandit, investments have already been made in backend, cold chains and logistics to support the company’s growth plans; an investment Rs 800 crore of ‘family equity’ was announced in February in the 1,000 Fortis health store chain that the company hopes to set up in five years.

Mr Pandit, who inaugurated yet another store in the Capital, said that the chain would continue to maintain the fifty -fifty ratio of company-owned and franchise model. “We were pushed into the franchise model by the interest that we received from people who wanted to be a part of the exciting experience in the healthcare segment,” said Mr Pandit.

More Stories on : Alliances & Joint Ventures | Medical Institutions & Hospitals | Healthcare Products

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