Online News: The Hindu : Tamil Nadu : Chennai : Diagnostics industry seeks Special Economic Zones by M. Dinesh Varma

Chennai recommended as a location for two zones "At present, 90 per cent of the medical technology products are imported"

CHENNAI : The multibillion-dollar diagnostics business in India is looking to emerge out of its dependence on imports, with the industry urging the Centre to establish Special Economic Zones (SEZs) that would encourage indigenous manufacturing of products and devices.

The medical technology sector feels that the Union Government should extend through these special zones a package of tax benefits, subsidised power and land to support indigenous enterprise.

"At present, 90 per cent of the medical technology products are imported,' said G. S. K. Velu, Managing Director, Trivitron, and president of the Association of Medical Devices and Diagnostics Suppliers of India (AMDSI).

The AMDSI has, in a recent memorandum, appealed to Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss for a policy overhaul on the medical technology front. The memorandum has pitched for establishment of SEZs that would accelerate self-reliance and open up avenues for export to the developing world.

The Minister is reported to have responded positively to the proposals. Chennai is understood to be among the potential sites for initially establishing, at least, two, if not a cluster of, SEZs, in the country. "We have recommended Chennai as a site and offered to undertake responsibility of promoting the zone to attract investments," Dr. Velu said.

 

Continue reading: http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/03/stories/2006090316350300.htm

Online News : India PE: SRL Ranbaxy mulls merger with Fortis Health

Ahead of its proposed initial public offering (IPO),SRL Ranbaxy Ltd, a diagnostics firm owned by the promoters of Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd, might integrate itself with group drug retailer Fortis HealthWorld Ltd.

The move aims to increase the valuation of the merged entity before it hits the capital market, said a person familiar with the development.

 

"While Fortis HealthWorld was brought under the Religare brand recently (by changing its name to Religare Wellness Ltd last week), a decision to extend the same to SRL Ranbaxy will be announced soon," he said, requesting anonymity.

 

A Religare spokesman, however, said, "Though there are synergies between the two businesses, there are no merger plans as of today."

SRL, which runs a chain of pathological laboratories, plans to raise Rs200-250 crore through an IPO. It is part of the Religare group that has interests ranging from technology services and business process outsourcing to health care and financial services

 

Continue reading: http://www.indiape.com/blog/_archives/2008/8/23/3851782.html

 

 

Online News : myiris: SRL Ranbaxy is now Super Religare Lab

SRL Ranbaxy (Q, N,C,F)* is now Super Religare Laboratories. This is a move to leverage the trust and credibility the Religare brand enjoys in the financial services domain to the other service businesses of the group. The strategy here is to make best use of cross synergies and to tap its reach and network to take the business to the next level of growth. 

The company said that the rebranding exercise is a significant move to take their interest in diagnostics space to the next level. It intend extending the brand values and brand equity to various services within its promoter group, encompassing diagnostics, wellness retail and IT technology.

Currently, the Religare brand umbrella comprises diversified business like financial & IT services, air charter and travel.   

 

Continue reading : http://myiris.com/shares/news/storyShow.php?fileR=20080929163819203&dir=2008/09/29

Online Medical Diagnostics News : The Hindu : Vijayawada : AP : India : Sneha Diagnostics Opens it's fifth branch in AP, India

Sneha Diagnostics in expansion mode

 

Its fifth branch in the State being opened today

VIJAYAWADA: Sneha Diagnostics, which has a tie-up with the CMC, Vellore, for quality control, is opening its fifth branch in the State on Wednesday on Prakasam Road. The diagnostic centre will be inaugurated by A.P. Medical Council Chairman V. Ram Prasad.

Sneha Diagnostics director M. Venkateswara Raju said that the company was running diagnostic centres with the state-of-the-art equipment at Chirala, Narasaraopet, Ongole and Kavali. By the end of 2009, there were plans to open 10 centres in the State.

He said the secret of Sneha Diagnostics' success was being able to charge just half or less than half of what other diagnostics of its kind were charging for different investigations. While other diagnostics were charging Rs. 60 to conduct sugar test, Sneha was charging Rs. 30 only. Similarly, Sneha Diagnostics was charging just Rs. 200 for lip profile, Rs. 200 for thyroid function and Rs. 300 for liver function tests. It was charging Rs. 300 for ultra sound scanning of pregnant women and Rs. 750 for total body check up (that includes 20 different investigations).

 

Read online : http://www.hindu.com/2008/10/22/stories/2008102250490200.htm

 

 

Profile : Diagnostic services provider : India : wellspring

Welcome to Wellspring, a chain of Path labs and Diagnostics Centers spread across the country, a Nicholas Piramal Venture......

Perhaps the only place where people are perceived as more than a sample of blood, Wellspring would shortly open its centers in Coimbatore, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Surat ,Chandigarh and Pune.

Wellspring performs over 4 million pathology tests every year with the widest test menu and operates from thirty five locations with over 50 processing labs viz... Kolkata, Mumbai, Mangalore, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bangalore. Bhubaneshwar, Cuttack, Agra, Bikaner, Kanpur, Kerala, Rohtak and Delhi.

Wellspring would shortly open its centers in Coimbatore, Chennai, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Indore, Lucknow, Chandigarh and Pune.

At Wellspring, we seriously believe in the adage: 'Prevention is better than cure'. We practice this by offering uniquely designed health check-up packages to our patrons. These packages are designed based on our profound understanding of lifestyle related and occupational health hazards faced by people today.

At each center of Wellspring, we offer a comprehensive range of tests in pathology covering Biochemistry, Immunology, Hematology, Histopathology and Micro-biology and an unparalleled range of esoteric tests in the areas of Histoopathology and Immunohistochemistry, Cytogenetics, Flow Cytometry and Molecular Biology through our Centers of Excellence. Most of our centers also offer supporting diagnosics facilities encompassing X-Ray, CT Scan, MRI (at select locations), Sonography, Echo Cardiography, Colour Doppler, Stress Test, Pulmonary Function Test, Body Mass composition Test, ECG and Audiometry. We also offer specialist medical consultations, physiotherapy and dental clinics in many of our centers.

Our centers are equipped with the most modern, fully automated equipment and are used in a fully computerized environment. Each center is always managed by renowned full time pathologist and is staffed with well-trained and skilled people.

Some of our laboratories are NABL (ISO-IEC 15189) certified and our aim is to have this accreditation for all our centers.

Wellspring is a unique organization because this is the only pathology lab chain in India which truly believes in providing quality by having centers; with fully equipped labs manned by established pathologists as close to the patient as possible. This way we try to minimize pre-clinical errors. More important, at our centers, you can always reach a doctor who answers your technical queries.

At Wellspring we believe in caring. Caring for quality, caring for service with smile, caring for your time, caring for your money and overall caring for your well-being.

 

Visit : http://www.wellspring.in/ for more information

Profile : Diagnostic services provider : Mumbai : India : Metropolis

Processing over 10 million tests a year, catering to more than 10,000 Laboratories, Hospitals, Nursing homes and 20,000 Consultants; and with 27 years of experience delivering accurate reports, Metropolis has also earned the reputation of being Indias only multinational chain of diagnostic centers with presence in the UAE, Seychelles, Srilanka, Thailand and South Africa.

Since its inception in 1981 as a purely Mumbai based lab, Metropolis has come a long way. Visionary leadership, strategic associations with other leading laboratories across the country, strict ethical policies and a penchant for technology are some of the reasons Metropolis is Indias largest laboratory chain. ISO, NABL, CAP (College of American Pathologists) accreditation and certified with CLIA, USA reiterate that we meet stringent national and international quality requirements - imperative in a vital service sector like healthcare.

Our network of  50 state-of-art-laboratories across India, Seychelles, UAE, Sri Lanka, Thailand and South Africa, and upcoming project in USA,with over 350 collection centers  further demostrate how committed we are to delivering accurate and timely results across the 3600 plus routine, specialized and highly specialized investigations we offer - investigations that use over 100 different technologies including Biochip and DNA sequencing. Innovations like Home Health Services  enable us to reach you so that going for a check up is no longer an inconvenience.

At Metropolis, we support  the global endeavor to fight disease by incorporating cutting-edge technology and practices that work hand-in-glove with our awareness drives and health check up camps. Metropoliss capability to carry out health check ups and testing across large geographies ensures that companies can be assured of consistent results and our unique loyalty programme provides you with even more reasons to get health check ups done. After all in the battle against disease, diagnosis is the first step.

Our services include Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Radiology & Imaging Services, Hospital Laboratory Management, Central Laboratory Services for Clinical Trials, Site Management Services, Home Health Services, Preventive Health Check ups and Remote Pathology Testing Services.

Metropolis is recognised by Mumbai University for its PhD program and is also associated with Birla College, Kalyan . Metropolis shares an exclusive alliance with Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute (Deemed University), Chennai and M S Ramaiah Medical College and Research Institute, Bangalore, Meenakshi Mission Hospital & Research Center (MMHRC), Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences Deemed University for conducting clinical trials and research.

Visit : http://www.metropolisindia.com/ for more information

Profile : Diagnostic services provider : Chennai : India : Ehrlich Laboratory

Founded in the year 1938 by the Visionary (Late) Dr. S. Balasundaram, Ehrlich is proud to be the oldest private medical laboratory in South India. Under the leadership of his son (Late) Dr. B.Subramanyam, Ehrlich soon took the diagnostic operations to greater heights.

 

Health care is today considered to be one of the fast developing sectors globally. The advanced scenario has compelled customers to insist on access to quality health care. Ehrlich utilizes high end technologies and the best professionals to cater to their demand.

 

Visit : http://www.ehrlichlaboratory.com/ for more information

email : info@ehrlichlaboratory.com

Profile : Diagnostic services provider : Hyderabad : India : Vijaya Diagnostic Centre

We would like to introduce ourselves as Vijaya Diagnostic Centre, the Pioneers in Diagnostic Medicare in the state of AP. We were the first centre to introduce the concept of comprehensive diagnostic Medicare under one roof, and in the twenty years since our inception in 1981, we have steadily expanded with a list of numerous firsts to our credit. Vijaya was the first to introduce Ultrasonography, 2D Echo, Nuclear Medicine and numerous other modalities in the state of AP. Today, Vijaya has ten branches in Hyderabad/Secunderabad and offers every diagnostic modality ranging from simple investigations to various complex modalities such as MRI, CT Scan, Immunology, Flow Cytometry, Nuclear Medicine etc.

At Vijaya, our mission has always been to offer the highest quality of service, the latest testing modalities and reliable and accurate reporting to the patient, while remaining affordable. Highly qualified doctors professionally manage our centers, and we have a stringent quality control process to ensure the accuracy and reliability of our services. We are also an ISO 9001:2000 certified and NABL – 17025 Accredited Laboratory.

At Vijaya, our mission has always been to offer the highest quality of service, the latest testing modalities and reliable and accurate reporting to the patient, while remaining affordable. Highly qualified doctors professionally manage our centers, and we have a stringent quality control process to ensure the accuracy and reliability of our services. We are also an ISO 9001:2000 certified and NABL – 17025 Accredited Laboratory.

 

Visit: http://vijayadiagnostic.com for more information

 

Profile : Diagnostic services provider : Bangalore : India : Anand Diagnostic Laboratory

30 years ago, when doctors relied on stethoscope and pulse as their primary investigation tool, one man set up a diagnostic laboratory believing that the future of investigative medicine will rely upon laboratory tests as its primary first step Businesses can be started over night, but it takes years to build an Institution. Thirty years ago, one man had the burning desire to set up a testing Laboratory that will be institutionalised to represent quality, good ethics and good laboratory medicine. In the '70s, laboratory test investigations were not as widely rampant as it is today. But it was clear to Dr.A.V. Ramaprasad, who was a Professor of Pathology at that time, that diagnostic investigations and laboratory tests would become mainstream in the field of medicine.

Doctors have come a long way from the days when the ubiquitous stethescope and checking the pulse was a way to understand what is going on inside the human body.

Today, laboratory tests and other diagnostic investigations have become a routine matter and have helped doctors to make better judgements on providing patient care & treatment. Dr.Ramaprasad, who founded Anand Diagnostic Laboratory in 1974, continues to be the guiding spirit and beacon of the Anand diagnostic laboratory that has grown to the point of where it is today.

Dr.Ramaprasad continues to provide thought leadership and plays an active role in all policy matters.

 

Visit : http://www.anandlab.com/ for more information

Online Business News: Business Line: Hyderabad : India : Aushadhi to spread wings to top-10 cities : In talks with venture capital funds for expansion plans

Aimed at a strong pan-India presence before the year-end, Optival Health Solutions (P) Ltd, retailers and owners of Aushadhi pharmacy chain, has chalked out an expansion programme involving an investment of around Rs 30 crore.

The company, which currently has 53 stores in Hyderabad, is all set to open 22 more in the twin cities during the next 30 days. It also plans to roll out its first 30 stores in Bangalore by September-end. Towards this, the company has acquired space for 20 stores, its Chief Executive Officer, Dr Madhukar Gangadi, said.

Addressing newspersons, he said after Bangalore, the company would focus on Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and Pune to have significant presence before the year-end. Each of these cities would have at least one central warehouse.

 

Continue Reading: http://www.blonnet.com/2006/08/20/stories/2006082002230500.htm

 

Online business news from The Financial Express : India : MedPlus to build regional labs pan-India

MedPlus Health Services Pvt Ltd has earmarked Rs 20 crore to build its network of regional labs for expanding across the country. The company has launched five regional diagnostic labs in Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Vijayawada and Vizag. Integrating the services of the regional labs with its over 400 pharmacies, it aims to become the country's first truly retail diagnostic lab.

MedPlus PathLabs Pvt Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary of MedPlus Health Services, currently operates a state-of-the-art, purpose built Clinical Reference Laboratory (CRL) in Hyderabad. And now with the regional diagnostic labs, MedPlus will bring accuracy, faster response time and greater convenience to its customers through advanced automation and quality management systems with an integrated network to create better customer access.

The company has adopted a unique hub and spoke model, and this allows for higher penetration of its services across regions as well greater access to its customers. The vast majority of samples received at MedPlus' network of pharmacies and affiliates will be processed in these regional labs, with the MedPlus CRL supporting the regional labs for specialty sample processing.

MedPlus CRL is equipped with advanced automated equipment and incorporates the latest diagnostic techniques to ensure it is able to perform up to 95% of all clinical laboratory tests including biochemistry, hematology, immunology, microbiology, serology, cytopathology, histopathology, molecular biology, and cytogenetics.

 

Continue reading :http://www.financialexpress.com/news/MedPlus-to-build-regional-labs-panIndia/315487/

Online Business News from Business Standard: India : MedPlus Health plans Rs 200-crore IPO

Launches integrated 'neighbourhood' health centres

MedPlus Health Services Private Limited, a Hyderabad-based retail pharmacy chain, is contemplating entering the capital market with an initial public offering (IPO) by June 2009 to fund its expansion plans besides providing an exit route to the existing investors in the company.

"We are currently observing the market conditions. We would look at raising up to Rs 200 crore through our maiden public offer," Madhukar Gangadi, founder and chief executive officer of MedPlus, told mediapersons, while refusing to share further details.

MedPlus, which started its operations in February 2006, had raised funds to build its MedPlus retail chain from three private equity firms, including Rs 25 crore from iLabs Venture Capital in two rounds of funding.

The company operates 300 pharmacy outlets in four states – Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. It plans to expand to four other states including Gujarat, Kerala, Rajasthan and West Bengal apart from increasing penetration in existing markets.

"We plan to have over 1,000 outlets in the eight states by March 2009 and a pan-India presence with another 2,000 stores, with an investment of Rs 10 lakh each, by 2010," Gangadi said.

Meanwhile, the company today launched a new full-service pharmacy retail concept – integrated health centres (IHCs) – in Hyderabad. The concept, which MedPlus claims to be the first-of-its-kind in the country, combines a family clinic, diagnostic lab and a pharmacy under one roof.

 

Continue Reading: http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=317334