The healthcare sector in the state is abuzz with the prospect of foreign investment.

Abengoa, a Spanish multinational company and a sister concern of Teyma India, has shown interest in building a superspeciality hospital in place of Jai Prabha Hospital in the city.

The health department had recently floated a global tender with the help of International Finance Corporation (IFC) to select a private player to develop a superspeciality hospital on the seven-acre plot of Jai Prabha Hospital. Apart from Abengoa, Medanta, Apollo and Bangalore based Narayana Hrudayalaya bought the bidding document.

Sources said the pre-bid meeting on this project would take place at a city hotel on January 19 in which representatives of all the bidders would participate.

Pankaj Sinha, consultant at IFC, which floated the global tender, confirmed this development to The Telegraph while speaking over phone from Delhi. He said: 'The Spanish multinational has bought the bidding document of the Jai Prabha Hospital project. Apart from Abengoa, the other big private players in the health sector, including Medanta, Apollo and Narayana Hrudayalaya have also bought the bidding document.'

The Rs 200cr project entails construction of a 500-bed superspeciality hospital in phases by a private player in public-private partnership mode. The plan is to develop a tertiary healthcare facility in Patna so that people don't need to visit other states for their treatment. According to the state government's plan, below poverty level (BPL) families would be given subsidised treatment in the hospital to come up at Jai Prabha Hospital's land.

Sinha said the selection process through which the private player for the said project would be selected would be completed by March this year.

Doctors of the state chapter of Indian Medical Association (IMA) said Abengoa's interest in the Jai Prabha Hospital project was a landmark development in the health sector. 'Foreign-based private players are showing interest in the health-related projects of the state government. It is definitely a big achievement. Apart from focusing on the development of superspeciality hospitals, the government must focus on equipping state-run medical colleges with all facilities so that they could produce quality doctors,' said Dr Sunil Kumar Singh, the vice-president of IMA's state chapter.

Principal health secretary Brajesh Mehrotra said it would be clear in the pre-bid meeting which other private players are interested in the project.