Indraprastha Apollo Hospital

Spread over 12 acres with a built-up area of 6,00,000 square feet, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital was founded in 1996. A joint venture between the Apollo Hospitals Group and the Government of Delhi, it is the largest hospital of the Group built at a cost of $44 million.

With a bed-capacity of 560 (including 140 ICU beds and 44 HDU beds) and 14 OTs, the Hospital handles close to two lakh patients a year, of which 12,000 are international patients.

The Hospital holds the distinction of being the first Indian hospital to be awarded the Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation. It is also accredited by the UKAS and ISO 9000:14001 quality standards. The labs have been accredited by NABL.

The focus specialities include cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, neuro sciences, orthopaedics, transplant surgery, oncology and wellness management/preventive health checks. The Hospital gets 1,000 footfalls in the OPD everyday. The combined staff strength of the Hospital is 2,000.

Says Richard Larison, Managing Director, "The USP of the Hospital remains our super speciality nature. With 44 super specialities under able doctors, we are able to provide well-rounded treatment to our patients."

On the Forefront

The Hospital has always been in the forefront of medical techniques. It has pioneered the first paediatric liver transplant, cord blood transplant for leukaemia, stereotactic radiotherapy and radiosurgery, Birmingham hip re-surfacing technique and Hong Kong technique for liver transplants.

Use of IT

The Hospital uses a hospital information system (HIS) that keeps electronic records of patients and links the various departments. The Apollo Hospitals Group is working on a group-wide HIS system that will link all the group hospitals to share and exchange data over a secure internet information system.

"We also carry out telemedicine and consultations across the country for patients living in far-flung areas and also to seek second opinions from the doctors at various Apollo hospitals across the country," says Larison.

Catering to Foreign Patients

International patients come to Indraprastha Apollo from the US, the UK, Europe, Middle East, Australia, Yemen, Africa and CIS countries. "Patients the world over have the same set of requirements. However, patients from overseas, especially the West, are even more particular about the food quality and the general upkeep of the hospital and its rooms. We are proud to say that for a majority of our patients the experience at the Hospital exceeded expectations. Also, since the Apollo Hospitals Group has four of its hospitals in New Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai and Ludhiana accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), our patients have more confidence in coming to Apollo," says Larison.

To make the stay of patients even more comfortable, the Hospital offers a wide variety of in-house food to choose from. "Special care is taken to alter our menu according to specific requirements of our patients, right from the first meal that is served upon admission. The Hospital also houses a travel desk to address travel requirements, bookings or cancellations for our patients so that they can alter travel plans as and when required. Further, the travel desk also helps in arranging local sight-seeing trips for the patients and their family, if the doctors permit them to do so," says Larison.

The Hospital has a designated Platinum Lounge, which is meant for outpatient appointments and follow-ups. It also serves as a lounge for patients who have just entered the Hospital and while they wait for all the formalities to be completed. The Hospital also offers translators in most languages to help in better interaction between patients and doctors.

CSR

"We extend free care to patients who cannot afford treatment. Our unique public private partnership with the Government of Delhi has ensured that 100 beds in the Hospital are available for poor patients," says Larison.

The Hospital regularly holds health awareness camps. Some of these include Basic Life Support (BLS) training for the police, embassies and resident welfare associations. The Hospital also extended first aid training for school children across the city and region. It has started various support groups to help patients and their families interact with each other and provide a platform for interactions. Most recently, a support group was launched for Hepatitis and liver disease.

The Hospital has adopted the nearby Jasola village to provide free health checks and medicines for women and children. This clinic is held three times a week. The Hospital has also adopted a cluster of villages near Sohna township, on the outskirts of New Delhi, to provide tips on prevention of water borne diseases and medicines for the inhabitants.

Apollo Hospitals has created the largest network of telemedicine in the country and holds regular consultations for patients who reside in remote areas or for those who cannot travel to a hospital.

A 3-storey OPD

The Hospital is currently re-doing its atrium and OPD areas. This includes renovation of the three-storey OPD floors and the patient waiting areas. In the atrium, a new look food court and

better waiting areas for patient relatives are being worked upon. "Further, we are looking to add an additional 20-bed ICU for heart patients," says Larison.

The Group has made a foray into the NCR region by setting up the 60-bed Apollo Hospitals, Noida which started operations last year. "We are also expanding our Apollo Chest Pain Clinics into Delhi and NCR. With three clinics in the region, we are looking to open more in the NCR," says Larison.