NEW DELHI: Mumbai-based Wockhardt Group plans to double the number of it's hospitals from seven to 14 by 2008. This will increase the cumulative bed capacity of these hospitals from 1,500 to about 3,000.

"We are setting up new hospitals in Rajkot, Surat, Nasik, Nagpur, Bhopal. We will also commission two 350-bed hospitals in Kolkata and South Mumbai by end of next year, " Habil Khorakiwala, chairman, Wockhardt Group told ET. Wockhardt has announced that it will invest about Rs 400-500 crore for its expansion plans in the next 3-4 years, both through organic as well as inorganic route.

The doubling of bed capacity will, however, be done through the greenfield route only. The company is adding 300 bed in its Mumbai Hospital, which will take the total bed capacity to around 550 bed - the highest among its hospitals. Mr Khorakiwala said the company is also looking at further expansions in smaller cities across the country.

Wockhardt has seven hospitals specialising in areas such as cardiology, neurology, orthopaedics, ophthalmology and minimal access surgery, in Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad (two), Kolkata and Nagpur (two). The bed capacity of these hospital ranges from 250 to 400.

Wockhardt Hospitals will also take over the management of the government-owned Civil Hospital in Palanpur (Gujarat) in the next few months. The engagement - on a non-profit basis - is on a public-private partnership (PPP) model where Wockhardt will take over the management of the hospital.

The Gujarat government will continue disbursing funds to the hospital and, if required, Wockhardt will pump in more money, Mr Khorakiwala added. "Such partnership will improve the standard and quality of health service delivery and various schemes that the state government provides," he said.

Many more states have evinced interest in similar partnership with private hospitals and states such as Rajasthan and Uttaranchal are believed to have approached Wockhardt Hospitals for similar engagements.