Fortis announces special services for senior citizens

Kolkata: Fortis Hospitals, Kolkata, on Friday introduced a special privileged service “Shradha” for senior citizens on the eve of World Health Day - 2012.

Under this service, senior citizens will be able to avail priority in admission to the hospital, get free diet counselling and get discounts on room rent, pathology, investigations and ambulance charges among others.

According to Ms Richa Debgupta, facility director, Fortis Hospitals, senior citizens can also avail four physician consultations free in a year.

World Health Organisation statistics reveal that older people are the fastest-growing age group worldwide. By 2050, 2 billion people, or nearly one out of every four people, will be older than 60 years.

“As people get older, they are more likely to have mobility difficulties and chronic conditions such as cancer, stroke, depression and dementia. The need of the hour is to create and consider means which can be put in place to respond to the aging population,” Ms Debgupta said.

Under the Shradha service, senior citizens will be entitled to get 10 per cent discount on room rent, radiology and ambulance charges. This apart, they will also get an additional 5 per cent discount on pathology and investigation, she added.

The hospital has also set up a dedicated helpline 033 – 6628 4335 to help senior citizens get immediate medical assistance.

Fortis buys hospital in Singapore for S$33 mn

Singapore: Seven months after pulling out of the race for Singapore’s Parkway, Fortis Healthcare, India’s second-largest hospital chain, on Thursday announced its first venture in the city-state, with a S$33-million (about Rs 118 crore) acquisition of an under-construction specialised cancer hospital.

Fortis Global Healthcare that handles the international business interests of promoters Malvinder Mohan Singh and Shivinder Mohan Singh, acquired the facility from Singapore-listed realty company First Real Estate Investment Trust, thereby completing three acquisitions in the last five months. The construction of the hospital is expected to be complete by the second quarter of 2012.

In November 2010, Fortis Global Healthcare had acquired Hong Kong-based primary healthcare network Quality Healthcare and in January this year, picked up a 30 per cent stake in Australia’s largest dentistry network, Dental Corporation. “Through this hospital, we are making a beginning in the highly recognised and competent healthcare delivery system of Singapore. Our group incorporates more than 25 years of experience in healthcare delivery and this hospital will benefit from that experience, to meet patient expectations in Singapore. We will continue to look for opportunities to further expand our presence in the region,” Fortis Global Healthcare Executive Chairman Malvinder Singh said in a statement.

Although the under-construction facility was valued at S$28.2 million at the end of last year, Fortis will be paying 17 per cent, or S$4.8 million, more for the property and will develop it into a specialty oncology and surgical hospital, with new generation critical and intensive care services. The acquisition also caps Fortis Healthcare’s extended struggle to establish a proper footprint in Singapore, dubbed as a hub for its plans of creating an integrated healthcare delivery system in Asia and Australia region.

Last July, Fortis was engaged with Malaysian state investor Khazanah in a takeover battle for Singapore-listed hospital operator Parkway, but finally backed out after about two months of wrangling over the asset. Subsequently, though, Fortis had said that it would look for a real estate investment trust or secondary listing on the Singapore stock exchange.