Apollo expects biz from foreign patients to double

The company at present gets 10-15% of its revenue from them

Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd (AHEL) is expecting its business from international patients to double in the next three years.

International patients pay a premium for treatment over the domestic charge, said company officials. At present, 10-15 per cent of revenue is from foreign patients and the company expects this to go up to 25 per cent in two years, says the management.

It would focus on select centres, including the proposed Navi Mumbai hospital, expected to open this month for international patients. It would attract more of them due to the location and connectivity to other countries, said Suneeta Reddy, managing director, in a recent earnings call with analysts.

A majority of the international patients are from neighbouring countries, Africa and West Asia. Apollo will try to expand the reach to more countries, including Britain, said a senior official. The inflow of patients from the countries where it is already present itself will see an increase during the period, he added.

The company has a tie-up with various clinics and information centres in these countries which would help them to bring more patients to India. The policy decision from the central government to allow e-visa holders to have treatment in India is a booster to this, said another company official. People travelling on e-visa were not allowed to have medical treatment so far, but the government has allowed them to have medical treatment done in India. That is a big advantage to travelers who come into India.

However, the senior official did not comment on the recent alleged organ sale racket in Delhi, which allegedly involve some employees in Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi, stating that the company has issued an official statement.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Indraprastha Medical Corporation Limited (Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals) has said that it has constituted an independent inquiry committee to look into the matter and has invited former Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice Mukul Mudgal to head the committee.

The committee shall study the existing system for authorisation in the hospital and give its recommendations to ensure that the current approval mechanisms are strengthened. In the interest of patient safety, it would also suggest safeguards to ensure that such an incident is not repeated in the future.

It added that the hospitals has always abided by the law and prides itself in being a responsible health care provider with the highest levels of ethics and clinical excellence. “The safety and well being of our patients is paramount and we shall take all necessary steps to ensure this intent is met with,” it added.