Aakash Healthcare forays into Uzbekistan with initial investment of $ 3.5 million

Tashkent-based Asia Med Centre renamed Aakash Healthcare Multispeciality Hospital, to begin operations from November 23, 2022

New Delhi-based Aakash Healthcare announced its overseas foray, with the take over of a multi-speciality hospital in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. 

As per a statement, the company plans to invest $ 10 million and create 200 direct jobs in the next three years to build an ecosystem of quality healthcare for Uzbekistan and nearby nations where quality healthcare is underdeveloped.

While many Indian healthcare players are already operational in various parts of Uzbekistan, most offer OPD and mini-surgeries camps or have limited liability tie-ups with existing local hospitals.

Giving details of the deal, Dr Aashish Chaudhry, MD, Aakash Healthcare Pvt Ltd (AHPL) revealed that an affiliate company, Anvika Healthcare started a foreign company Aakash Healthcare LLC, which has taken over the hospital in Tashkent as a foreign investment. According to him, the company plans to invest $ 10 million and provide 200 direct jobs in the next three years.

The releases points out that about 8,000 Uzbek patients come to New Delhi every year for medical treatments, corresponding to an approximate market size of $ 30 million.  Uzbekis have major liver issues and nearly 15 per cent of the population suffers from Hepatitis B. The majority of patients come to India for complex surgeries like liver transplants, cancer surgeries, neuro and orthopaedic procedures. The major focus of Aakash Healthcare LLC would be on mother & child care, orthopaedic and liver among others.

“We aim to build an ecosystem of quality healthcare for Uzbek and nearby countries where quality healthcare is underdeveloped. We have been planning for this for the last three years and finally, Aakash Healthcare LLC acquired our first overseas hospital, Asia Med Centre, in Tashkent. This is just the beginning, and we will go to other foreign locations in the future. Now, the hospital is renamed as Aakash Healthcare Multispeciality Hospital and will begin its operations formally from November 23, 2022, onwards,” informed Dr Chaudhry.

The 50-bed hospital has speciality departments, spanning orthopaedics, paediatrics, endocrinology, neurology, internal medicine, physiotherapy, cardiology, gynaecology, urology, general surgery, neurosurgery, ENT, USG, X-ray, Laboratory, and Dentistry.

Dr Vikramjeet Singh, Vice President, CIS Projects, Aakash Healthcare said, “Opening a new hospital, in a new country, is an arduous task. But the concerted efforts of our team, guidance, and support from the health ministry, investment ministry, and the local administrative departments helped in making this dream a reality.”

Aakash Healthcare also intends to train local doctors, surgeons, nursing and support staff with quality healthcare practices, so that over a period of time, local healthcare professionals can work at par with their Indian counterparts. An exchange programme for the training of Uzbek staff in India is also on the cards, as per the statement.