AHF planning to open dispensary
As one enters the sprawling campus of Ahalia Healthcare Foundation (AHF) in Pallakad, Kerala, one cannot but feel rejuvenated amid the soothing air and lush greenery. This is exactly what is required to make patients recover early. AHF is thus branding this very experience at their campus.Situated in the valleys of the Western ghats, this Rs 100-crore project, started in March 2005, is already home to the Ahalia Foundation Eye Hospital (AFEH) with 300 beds and the Ahalia Ayurvedic Hospital and Treatment Centre with 30 beds. Right now, AHF is on an expansion spree, and how!"Most hospitals in India are located in cities, where natural healing environment is not possible"- Dr Anup ChirayathMedical DirectorAhalia Foundation Eye Hospital.Currently under construction is the extension of the Ayurvedic Hospital, which after completion will contain 100 beds. The Group is further planning to convert the Hospital into an Ayurvedic college in the next two years, which will then expand to a total of 200 beds. The college will be complemented by an existing 10-acre herbal garden. "In fact, one of the reasons behind having an Ayurvedic garden is that it is a compulsion for opening up an Ayurvedic college. The management had made plans in advance, so implementation is now systematic," informs Dr Anup Chirayath, Medical Director, AFEH.
In addition, the Group plans to come up with four 200-bed hospitals each focusing on specialities like cardiology, gynaecology, mother and child and geriatrics. The foundation for the mother and child hospital has already been laid, and the construction started a month ago.The top management has visited the best paediatric and women's hospitals in North America to draw inspiration for the upcoming hospital. In order to be self-sufficient where medicine is concerned, the Group has drawn up a blueprint for its own pharmaceutical unit, spread over two acres.AHF currently houses a small Ayurvedic medicine manufacturing unit, which they wish to expand to a full-fledged plant. The Ayurvedic garden will also be expanded according to the needs of the Ayurvedic Hospital and college.
The campus is surrounded by villages which lack basic healthcare facilities. Hence, the Group wants to tap the nearby healthcare market by opening dispensaries in the areas of Trissur, Coimbatore, Malapuram, Pallakad, Pollachi (Tamil Nadu), Calicut, Ernakulam and Kottayam.Medical tourism is on the wish list too. "Although a few patients are currently being directed from UAE, we plan to further tap the NRIs there. In any case, Kerala has a sizeable population working in the Gulf," says Vivek Shukla, Marketing Consultant for AHF.Right now, AFEH is preparing for ISO accreditation and they feel that bagging NABH or JCI too will not be difficult in the near future.The project is not just limited to providing healthcare; the Group is also greatly into development of people in the neighbouring areas.
For this, they will, in the next year, come up with a heritage centre for providing employment to the villagers around the campus. The Centre will showcase and sell products and items prepared by the local people. "It will serve as a platform for production, promotion, research and training in heritage industries," says Lejpathroy S, Assistant Manager, Marketing, AFEH. In the near future, AHF also plans to set up an arts college in the campus.
