LifeSpring to open 140 hospitals by 2012

Thiruvananthapuram: LifeSpring Hospitals, a joint venture between the public sector Hindustan Latex (HLL) and the US-based Acumen Fund, is planning to establish a chain of hospitals across the country over the next five years.

The joint venture, which set up the first hospital at Moula Ali in Hyderabad in December 2005, has recently opened two hospitals at Mallapur near Hyderabad and Nellore.

According to Mr M. Ayyappan, Chairman and Managing Director of HLL, LifeSpring Hospitals will open 140 franchised hospitals in the country between 2010 and 2012 and an estimated 82,000 women will benefit from LifeSpring’s services over the next five years.

Mr Ayyappan said that the objective of the company was to provide high-quality and affordable healthcare services to women and children in lower and lower-middle income families.

LifeSpring hospitals charge between 30 and 50 per cent of the prevailing market rates.

He said LifeSpring would significantly lessen the burden on the low-income communities.