The 120-bed Wockhardt Hospital will have four state-of-the-art operating theatre suites and a critical care facility with 25 ICU (intensive care unit) beds.

Wockhardt Hospitals, India's leading super speciality hospital chain, on Saturday announced plans to establish a world-class super speciality hospital in Bhopal in association with Ayushman Medical Diagnostics Ltd. The 120-bed Wockhardt Hospital in Bhopal will be commissioned in six months.

A memorandum of understanding to establish Wockhardt Hospital in Bhopal was signed by Anil Kamath, President, Wockhardt Hospitals and Dr. Niraj Kumar, Dr. Gopal Batni and Dr. Ashok Gupta, Directors, Ayushman Medical Diagnostics in the presence of Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Chauhan.

"We are fortunate that Wockhardt, a globally reputed name in healthcare, has decided to establish a world-class hospital in Bhopal," Chief Minister Shivraj Chauhan said. "My vision is to see Bhopal emerge as the centre of excellence for medical care in central India."

Wockhardt stated that it will construct additional facilities, upgrade existing facilities and invest in the latest technologies to provide the latest super speciality treatment in cardiology, cardio thoracic surgery, neurology, neurosurgery, high-end orthopaedic surgery and minimal access surgery. The new hospital will have four state-of-the-art operating theatre suites and a critical care facility with 25 ICU (intensive care unit) beds.

"People of Madhya Pradesh have long suffered from the absence of a world-class tertiary healthcare facility in central India," Wockhardt Hospitals' Chairman Habil Khorakiwala said. "We are determined to realize the chief minister's vision of making Bhopal the healthcare capital of the region with our rich experience of over 18 years in this field."

Wockhardt said that the hospital will bring to Madhya Pradesh the rich medical expertise from its exclusive association with Harvard Medical International, the global arm of Harvard Medical School, the world's leading medical institution. This association provides Wockhardt access to the latest clinical protocols, innovations and patient care practices from 17 prestigious Harvard-affiliated hospitals in the US, including the Massachusetts General Hospital, the Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Beth Israel Hospital.

Dr. Ashok Gupta, Ayushman Director, said, "Wockhardt's entry will be a boon for the people of Madhya Pradesh who now have to travel to Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and even Chennai for high end critical care." Shri Rakesh Mehra, consultant, Econotech Services Pvt Ltd, said the entry of branded hospitals will lift healthcare delivery standards in the region.

Key clinicians and other important staff will be trained at Wockhardt Hospitals in Mumbai to acquire skills and service quality, which will be at par with the best in the industry. The hospital will provide specialists with advanced infrastructure and superior nursing quality so that they can serve their patients in an ideal environment.