Bengaluru: Azim Premji Foundation (APF) will set up a 1,000-bed philanthropy-driven super speciality hospital in city to provide advanced healthcare services, including organ transplants. The hospital is expected to become fully operational within five years.Medical education minister Sharan Prakash Patil announced that the state govt will lease around 10 acres of land near Kyalasanahalli, north Bengaluru, close to Nimhans, to the foundation for this purpose for 99 years. The hospital, estimated to cost Rs 1,000 crore, will provide international-quality treatment for all types of organ transplants and other diseases. The foundation will provide Rs 350 crore annually for the hospital’s operations.
“The hospital is planned as a large tertiary-care, multi-speciality facility of around 1,000 beds, subject to statutory approvals and permissible construction norms. It will have a core focus on organ transplantation, with other specialities determined based on public health needs,” said Anand Swaminathan, head (Health), Azim Premji Foundation.“In recent years, organ transplantation cases have increased, and so has the cost of treatment. In this context, APF agreed to build a ‘philanthropy super speciality’ hospital,” said the minister.A large percentage of the ward beds will be offered at no cost to patients. The remaining beds will be charged at rates similar to government tertiary hospitals. The hospital will be empanelled under government health insurance schemes such as Ayushman Bharat – Arogya Karnataka, in line with eligibility applicable to government tertiary hospitals.The foundation will have complete autonomy to run the hospital. “The govt’s role will be minimal. Only the medical education minister, the principal secretary and the director of the department will be on the governing body of this hospital. APF will manage the hospital,” the minister explained.The foundation already collaborates with the state govt on initiatives such as midday meals for children in govt and aided schools. It funds eggs for student meals on days the state govt does not.Quote:“Bengaluru has grown rapidly over the years, with a large migrant population that places sustained demand on the city’s public health system. Existing public tertiary hospitals, such as Victoria and Bowring, and specialised institutions like Sri Jayadeva and Kidwai Memorial, are consistently stretched, handling patient volumes well beyond their intended capacity. Although private hospitals contribute to overall capacity, access to advanced care remains limited for socio-economically disadvantaged populations due to high costs. A new large tertiary care hospital will help ease the burden on existing public facilities and expand access to quality, affordable care, while also preparing the city’s health system for future growth,” said Anand Swaminathan, head (Health), Azim Premji Foundation.
