 Lifeline acquires 15 clinics in TN
Lifeline, a 225-bed multi-specialty hospital at Perungudi on the IT corridor of Chennai, has taken over the management of S & V Loga Hospital, Karur, on a 15-year lease. It is also taking over 15 clinics in 13 places across Tamil Nadu from April 1, 2006, said Dr J S Rajkumar, chairman of Lifeline group of hospitals.
S & V Loga Hospital in Karur, with the new management, will be now renamed as S & V Loga Lifeline Hospital. The 120-bed hospital with three operation theatres and 30 doctors, offers services that include Cardiology, Dental surgery, Dermatology, Endoscopy, ENT, Gastroenterology, General Medicine, General Surgery, Paediatric, Neonatology, Neurology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Orthopaedics, Plastic Surgery and Psychiatry. The ICCU and the NICU are equipped with a total of 10
ventilated beds.
The 15 Lifeline clinics are located in Periar Nagar, Perundurai, Pallipalayam, Namakkal, Gobichettipalayam, Erode, Sathyamangalam, Rasipuram, Bhavani, Tiruchengode, Kangeyam, Dharapuram and Karur. Each of these clinics (fully
air-conditioned) will have one or two consultants depending on the size of the clinic, a pharmacy, a laboratory with ECG and X-ray facilities, Dr Rajkumar said.
"We hope to reach across to people in different parts of Tamil Nadu and give them the same quality of medical care that is enjoyed by those living in the city," said Dr Selva M Annamalai, director, Lifeline.
Through the acquisition of this hospital and the 15 clinics, Lifeline will operate in a hub and spokes model. Each of these medical centres will be connected through a video telemedicine network. This network will help people from towns to have access to super specialty medical care.
Specialists from Lifeline Hospital, Chennai, will visit Loga Lifeline at Karur on a weekly basis and offer medical care to patients who require specialist attention. Telemedicine will facilitate quick diagnosis and decisions to patients at these remote towns, without them having to leave their hometowns. The patients who require treatment, which the clinics cannot offer, will be sent to Loga Lifeline Hospital, Karur, and if patients still require specialised surgery (which is not available in Loga Lifeline, Karur, like cardiothoracic surgery and replacement surgery), they will be referred to Lifeline Hospital, Chennai, for specialist treatment, Dr Rajkumar said.
"We will be able to provide the best medical care to remote parts of Tamil Nadu and diagnose patients in these parts through telemedicine without any loss of time," said Dr Rajkumar, adding that the group was looking at more acquisitions in other districts like Tirunelveli, Salem and Kanyakumari, besides networking with hospitals abroad.
Lifeline Group of Hospitals prior to the acquisition consisted of Lifeline Multi-Specialty Hospital in Perungudi, Lifeline Rigid Hospital in Kilpauk and Lifeline Cliniq in Adyar.
R Rangaraj
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