Medical service provider Fortis Health Care has decided to establish a medical institute that will also have a cancer research hospital, in Punjab with an initial investment of Rs 100 crore.

Fortis Healthcare CEO Shivinder Singh stated, “We have submitted a detailed plan to Punjab Government to upgrade the healthcare services in the state, which includes setting a medical education centre that would include nursing school, OPD centre and a large cancer hospital.”

State functionaries stated that Fortis’ recent plans include establishing a chain of medical centre on a private-public-partnership model.

Fortis is looking at making a big hospital having capacity of 100-250 beds linked to the OPD services, the officials said.

The officials also said that Fortis was looking at replicating the model in different parts of the state.

Rising cases of cancer in Punjab, especially in Malwa area and lack of proper treatment facilities force people to go to hospitals in neighboring state of Rajasthan for treatment.

According to the information available with the government a big number of patients from countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan come to India through Amritsar for treatment and there is a big demand for a quality private hospital in the region.

Mr. Singh said, “We are seriously concerned about the welfare of the people. As a company in the business of health care, we consider it imperative to provide the best possible medical aid to the people.”

Previously, Fortis said that was directing to own 40 hospitals by the next three year (2011) and it can be through acquisitions, establishing greenfield facility or via PPP model.