Value Add

Healthcare in Kerala

'We Will Set Up 30 Hospitals Across India by the End of 2010 and 2012'

M Ayyappan Chairman HLL Lifecare

HLL Lifecare has been declared a 'mini ratna company' by the Government of India and upgraded as a schedule B PSU. HLL Lifecare has grown today into a multi-product, multi-unit organisation addressing various public health challenges facing humanity. On the path of rapid growth, HLL has set its sights to be a Rs 1,000 crore company by the year 2010. Chairman of HLL Lifecare, M Ayyappan talks about the exciting future that lies ahead. Excerpts

Please give an overview about the product portfolio of HLL Lifecare?

Our products can be categorised in four main ranges viz. contraceptives, hospital products, immunobiologicals and pharma products for women. We have widest range of contraceptives which include male condoms (Moods and Crezendo), female condoms (Velvet and Confidom), ultra uterine devices, oral contraceptive pills- both steroid and non-steroidal (Saheli, Nogestol, Arpan and Desogestrel), Emergency Contraceptive Pill (Preventol) and tubal rings. Under hospital products, we have an array of innovative healthcare products and services ranging from blood bags to blood banking equipments, surgical sutures to surgical gloves and equipment for neonatal care. Our immunobiologicals range include various high quality vaccines like Hivac-B, a recombinant vaccine for Hepatitis B and Tyfex, VI Vascular Polysaccharide vaccine for Typhoid and Hilrab- the human rabies vaccine and Nishchay Rapid In-Vitro Diagnostic kits for the detection of pregnancy. HLL's product range for women health include: contraceptives, ovulation inducers, anti-emetics, menstrual cycle regulators, anti-fibrinolytics, MTP pills, pregnancy test kits, natural products and vaccines. In addition to all this, HLL also offers a wide range of vending machines to dispense consumer goods including condoms, sanitary napkins, medicated plasters and oral re-hydration salts.

Besides, we also have a services division that includes infrastructure development consultancy, procurement consultancy and diagnostic services division.

What is the strategic rationale behind venturing into Ayurvedic healthcare? What will be the role of HLL in the tie-up?

Ayurveda had, for centuries, been widely known and accepted for its widespread applications in rejuvenation and therapeutic healing treatment. By joining hands with the Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala, HLL intends to introduce a range of healthcare products especially in the area of women healthcare, generics, symptomatic relief, nutraceutical and personal healthcare. We will also take these products to the international markets in order to promote the merits and efficacy of the ayurvedic formulations at the global level. HLL has been introducing herbal healthcare products through ethical and over-the-counter routes. Lactohill, an ayurvedic propriety medicine and a total health tonic and Chyavanules-Chyawanprash granules have already been introduced by HLL. As per the agreement, the products would be manufactured by AVS and marketed by HLL.

The company plans to open 27 hospitals across India? Please give some details about the progress in this mega project?

HLL started the LifeSpring Hospitals chain to provide cost-effective quality care, particularly in the area of reproductive health for the low income population. The first LifeSpring Hospital was launched at Hyderabad in December 2005 and at Kanpur and Agra in UP. HLL and Acumen Fund, a non-profit philanthropic organisation based in US formed a joint venture with a 50/50 equity partnership -LifeSpring Hospitals Private Limited -intending to create a chain of small hospitals (20-30 beds). The company has opened five hospitals in 2008 and will set up 30 across India by the end of 2010 and 2012. This is a unique social enterprise focused towards creating wider access to quality maternal and child healthcare services to common people at affordable costs.

Please elaborate about the quality standards that the company follows?

HLL's quality policy ensures delivering value to customers on time, every time. From contraceptives to healthcare devices, all its products and manufacturing facilities conform to international standards and quality certifications, which translate into best value for customers.

Our production facilities have quality, safety and health certifications for the world's most prestigious certification bodies:

• ISO 9001 for manufacturing facilities at Peroorkada Thiruvananthapuram, Kanagala, Belgaum Karnataka, Akkulam Thiruvananthapuram and Kakkanad facility, Kochi.
• ISO 13485 for manufacturing units at Akkulam, Peroorkada, Kanagala and Kakkanad.
• ISO 14001 and OHSAS 180001 certification for manufacturing facilities at Akkulam, Peroorkada and Kanagala.
• ISO 17025 for the finished product testing laboratory at Peroorkada for condoms.
• Our products carry the following product certifications:
• CE mark for blood bags, condoms, surgical sutures, iuds, hydrocephalus shunts and tissue expanders.
• SABS mark, NF mark and KITE mark for condoms.

Any new joint ventures or strategic tieups?

As part of our diversification plans, we are looking into a lot of viable propositions in the healthcare sector. Some of the proposals are in the planning stage. Hope you will appreciate our constraint in disclosing the details of the proposals at this stage.

Please give some details about the vaccine complex coming up in Chennai?

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India will be setting up a vaccine-manufacturing unit- The Integrated Vaccines Complex (IVC). The IVC will be a state-of-the-art facility for production of vaccines for the national immunisation programme and other new generation vaccines. IVC will house R&D laboratories as well as testing, standardisation and validation centres. The manufacturing facility will comply with WHO-cGMP guidelines, to make safe and effective vaccines available at affordable prices. The Integrated Vaccines Complex has been accorded the status of 'a project of national importance' by the Government of India.