The single-specialty hospitals catering to the specific needs of patients with highly sophisticated medical equipment and super-specialty doctors have started making big inroads into Hyderabad. Gone are the days when patients have to travel a considerable distance to reach a multi-specialty hospital for treatment.
Like everywhere else, niche hospitals have started showing signs of dominating medical services. Opening a multispecialty hospital that will handle all ailments from liver to heart is not the preferred choice anymore.In the last one-year, the twin cities have had its fair share of single-specialty hospitals. Chains of outlets have come up in the field of eye care, bariatric surgeries, lifestyle ailments like diabetes, gastroenterology, specific birthing centres dedicated to pregnant women, cosmetics and plastic surgery.
The USP of these hospitals is staying small, offering high-end medical services with hi-tech equipment, super-specialty doctors, better personal care to patients because of small size, easily accessible as they are centrally located and above all reduced stay in the hospital after the procedure.
While a multi-speciality hospital takes anywhere from five to six years to break even, a boutique hospital usually takes not more than a year to recover.Experts believe that like the West, especially the US, where large corporations operate ‘chains' of such niche hospitals in major cities, a similar trend will emerge in Hyderabad. “The next big thing happening in the medical sector in Hyderabad is niche hospitals. I predict that single-specialty hospitals, in the long run, will dominate because of their uniqueness. However, the bottomline is that such facilities need to win the public's trust,” says CEO, Beams Hospitals, S. Krishnamurthy.
Many also argue that compared to large multi-speciality hospitals, boutique hospitals can extend better personal care to patients because doctors have more time to spend with the patients. “There is an element of privacy for patients, which usually lacks in bigger hospitals. Of all the kinds of surgeries present, roughly 70 per cent of them can be conducted at smaller facilities,” says Mr. Krishnamurthy, whose Beams Hospitals at Jubilee Hills has completed one year in Hyderabad.
Experts also point out that providing high-end services at a ‘good' price will help the patient as well as promoters of the concept. “Patients have access to top-of-the line facilities and best doctors very near to their residential area. In addition, smaller facilities help break-even faster compared to multi-specialty behemoths,” says Dr. Nandakishore Dukkipati, MD, Livlife Hospitals, which is opening 10 more wellness centres in the State.
