Corporate Watch

Manipal Re-brands Manipal Cure and Care Division

Merges it with main healthcare division

Rajen Padukone

As part of re-structuring process at Manipal Health System (MHS), the Bangaluru-based corporate group has taken the decision to re-brand its retail healthcare division —Manipal Cure and Cure (MCC), once touted as India's first health and wellness centre. This decision is part of the group's restructuring which began in the month of January after exit of former CEO and MD of MHS-R Basil. The first step of restructuring witnessed clustering of hospitals in various zones.

The decision to close MCC as a subsidiary was taken a few months back, after the division failed to generate the expected revenue. Over the last one year, MCC had shut down its three outlets in Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad. The Pune unit was closed down two months back. The MCC centres are still open at Sarjapur, Kormangla and JP Nagar in Bangaluru, but would either be shut down or be re-branded as wellness clinics.

When asked about this re-structuring, Rajen Padukone, CEO, MHS, said, "It was time for us to think innovatively on some of our initiatives. We are re-branding the MCC clinics as wellness clinics within the MHS brand. The outlets would now be revamped to offer OPD and day care services in ENT, dentistry, dermatology and even dialysis."

Around two years back, when MCC was launched, the group has announced plans of opening 100 MCC centres. In 2007, and 2008, MCC has won the prestigious Golden Peacock Innovation Award. Unfortunately, the market did not respond positively to the emerging concept of standalone wellness centres. Reportedly, senior people working with MCC have been absorbed in MHS fold. Somnath Das, Former COO of MCC, is said to have moved to the group's education vertical.

Meanwhile, surgeon Dr MG Bhat, his wife and gynaecologist Dr Jaya Bhat and cardiac surgeon Dr Subhash Chandra are back in the Manipal fold as consultants. Reportedly, the differences that these doctors had with the hospital management had been sorted out. When asked whether Manipal wooed this star doctors back after Basil's exit, Padukone said, "It has not been a strategy to get them back, but we are always open to getting back people who left us."

Rita Dutta