Columbia Asia hospital in Salt Lake

Private healthcare options in Calcutta have opened up even more with the commissioning of a new hospital in Salt Lake. Another hospital will open doors off EM Bypass in a couple of months.

Malaysia-based Columbia Asia Hospitals Pvt Ltd inaugurated Columbia Hospital in Salt Lake’s Sector III on Friday. Situated on about 12 cottah, the multi-speciality hospital will have a 24-hour emergency department, five state-of-the-art operating theatres and 100 beds.

“The hospital will provide hi-tech treatment at a highly competitive price. Patients will be consulted at every stage of treatment so that they can decide for themselves whether to go for a particular examination,” said Arindam Banerjee, the general manager of the Salt Lake facility.

He said the hospital would operate ambulances with “state-of-the-art emergency treatment facilities”.

The Malaysian company is planning to set up more hospitals in the city and other parts of the state.

Neon Healthcare and Research Institute is building a 300-bed hospital near Ruby General Hospital, off EM Bypass. It is expected to be commissioned in September.

The hospital will have super-speciality neuroscience, oncology and paediatrics units. “Another 150 beds will be added in the second phase of the project,” said a hospital official.

Neotia Elbit Hospitals Venture Ltd, a joint venture between Neotia group and Elbit of Israel, has started a diabetes speciality centre on Rashbehari Avenue, near Gariahat.

“There is need for a systematic approach to diabetes treatment in the city, where the disease is spreading alarmingly,” said Itamar Offer, the CEO of Neotia Elbit Hospitals. Specialists from the Whittier Institute for Diabetes in California visited the city’s clinic and trained physicians, nurses and nutritionists in diabetes management.