Apollo hospital plans to expand, seeks government nod

NEW DELHI: One of Delhi's largest corporate hospitals, Indraprastha Apollo, is all set for expansion. The hospital plans to add 200 more beds, in addition to creating extra facility for its transplant programme.

Chairman of Apollo hospitals group, Dr Prathap C Reddy, told TOI he had a meeting with Delhi government on the issue. "Delhi government is a stakeholder in this hospital. Therefore, we proposed to the government on expanding this hospital," Dr Reddy said. At present, Indraprastha Apollo has 720 beds.

Sources in Delhi government confirmed Dr Reddy's meeting with CM Arvind Kejriwal and health minister Satyendar Jain. "I cannot comment on the specifics of the meeting," the source added.

Delhi government holds 26% stake in Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals as it had provided land at a concessional rate for construction of the super-specialty hospital in 1990s.

This is why, the source said, government nod is a must for any major construction or expansion of the hospital. "The last expansion took place in 2012 when the hospital added 70 beds. But there is an urgent need to expand further due to increasing patient burden and the intent to bring in newer technologies," a senior doctor at the hospital said.

The hospital, situated in Sarita Vihar, has more than 50 specialties, including neurosurgery, oncology and urology, among others. It conducted India's first paediatric liver transplant in 1998. Dr Reddy said technology has been changing fast and it has helped improve the outcome in diseases like cancer that was considered a death sentence till about a few decades ago. "Now, if the disease is diagnosed at early stage, it can be cured," the chairman added.

Recently, the group installed south Asia's first proton therapy centre at its Chennai hospital. Proton therapy is a type of radiation therapy, which uses protons rather than x-rays to treat cancer. Dr Reddy said in future they might get the technology to the Delhi hospital as well.