Comments
The rooms have no numbers — just the couple’s name, there are no visiting hours, and you deliver your baby and get driven back home in a luxurious car, like a Mercedes!
That is the promise the Birthplace, a “birthing centre” in Hyderabad’s upmarket Banjara Hills, makes to expectant moms.
From planning a child to the actual delivery, a birthing centre provides medical support services, but in a more friendly ambience than a typical hospital or nursing home. The idea is to allay the anxiety and fear associated with a delivery and to pamper the mother without compromising on the safety of the delivery, says 28-year-old Tarun Siripurapu, an engineer-turned-promoter of the proposed network.
Birthing centres, baby-shields and cord blood banking — an array of baby-centred healthcare services is on offer, as parents pull out all stops for their children.
The birthing centre concept took shape some years ago, with Apollo Hospital’s ‘The Cradle’. Fortis hospital group’s La Femme and privately-owned Cloudnine followed.
The Birthplace will be about personalised experiences, a “British Airways first class in birthing,” says Ratan Jalan, head of Medium Healthcare Consulting, of the 25-room facility, slated for launch later this month. With an investment of Rs 30 crore, The Birthplace plans to expand in the South.
Running a different type of birthing centre, Mumbai’s Veda Simons seeks to popularise natural births, helped by non-invasive techniques, at her two-year-old Daimaa’s Natural Birth centre. After the baby is delivered, services such as cord-blood banking and newborn screening come in.
Launched about six months ago, BabyShield is a newborn screening service from LifeCell International. Clearly, India needs it, with the highest birth and infant mortality, says LifeCell President and Executive Director Mayur Abhaya. The newborn’s blood and urine are tested for 118 indications that could lead to sudden death or delayed development of the child.
Cord blood banking, another of LifeCell’s services, involves collecting blood from the baby’s umbilical cord for medical use later. Cord blood is a source of young stem cells that can be introduced into an organ and coaxed to multiply, to help treat blood and brain disorders.
Even as he contemplates re-pricing and bringing in affordable models, Abhaya is convinced of its potential. Assuming 20 lakh deliveries in urban centres, coupled with the willingness of parents to pay for once-in-a-lifetime experiences, the opportunity is huge, says Jalan.
Comments
COMMENT NOW
Comments
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.