Narayana Health SRCC to increase bed count to 300 by FY20

Leading private sector hospital chain Narayana Hrudayalaya Thursday said it is planning to increase the bed count at its city paediatric hospital, SRCC Children's Hospital, to 300 by financial year 2019-20.

The hospital, launched in April last year, has 207 beds at present.

"Post-Diwali, we will be adding more beds and are looking to increase the same to 300 beds by 2019-20," Narayana Health SRCC facility director Rupesh Choubey told reporters.

The hospital is operated and managed by Narayana Hrudayalaya and backed by SRCC, an institution known for serving the needs of children from all sections of society.

Choubey said the hospital has successfully completed 500 cardiac surgeries in the last one year and is hoping to operate 1,000 cardiac surgeries over the next one year period.

With a population in excess of 1.2 billion, and a birth rate of 19.3/1,000, he said it is estimated that nearly 220,000 children are born annually with heart defects.

The Indian Academy of Pediatrics has identified birth defects of the heart as a major contributor to infant deaths in the state of Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh.

Choubey said the multi-specialty hospital has already tied up with the Assam and Madhya Pradesh governments to organise medical camps, screen children suffering from cardiac problems and advice and treat them.

It is also talking to the Goa, Rajasthan, Manipur and Uttrakhand governments, he added.