New Delhi Aster DM Healthcare, one of the largest integrated healthcare providers in the GCC and India, plans to expand into South Asia and Africa, said Azad Moopen, Founding Chairman and Managing Director. In India, Aster Healthcare has 15 hospitals and over 200 pharmacies.
He said that recently, the company has entered into a long-term agreement with GD Assist Ltd. to set up and operate 25 pharmaceutical stores in Bangladesh.
“In fact, we have discovered a franchise model in Bangladesh to test how it works and how it will be accepted. We are hopeful that it will perform well as there is a huge requirement of pharmaceuticals in Bangladesh. The process of starting pharmacy in Bangladesh is in progress. In addition, we are looking for expansion opportunities in SAARC countries and Africa,” Dr Moopen said.
On the medical side, Aster Healthcare has signed agreements with the Royal College of Obstetricians (London) to train Aster medical staff in India. It is also in collaboration with Farooq Medical City, a hospital in the Sulaimani region of Iraq.
“We have signed an agreement with Farooq Medical City to help manage the hospital as well as bring patients from there to India.” He said that the company is getting more patients from Gulf countries as well as Turkey.
“We have collaborated with Narayanadri Hospital and Research Institute in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh to strengthen our presence in the south. This is part of Aster’s operations and management asset lighting strategy. The plan includes expanding the existing 150-bed hospital to 250 beds, making it a comprehensive tertiary care facility. The advanced hospital will provide all emergency and critical care services such as neurosciences, multi-organ transplantation, oncology, gastro science, cardiac science etc,” Moopen said, adding that the strategy is to be implemented in other states.
Moopen said that Aster will soon launch a mobile app called “My Aster”, through which patients can book tele-consultations or appointments with doctors anywhere and other medical facilities provided by Aster such as medicines. And can book for ambulance.
Moopen said that the number of international patients coming to India for medical travel has increased after Kovid. “During Covid, it was almost zero and gradually it is improving. We are hopeful that more patients will come to India for medical value travel.”
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