Oscar award-winner A.R.Rahman formally inaugurates the first Apollo Children’s Hospital in Chennai

Apollo Hospitals’ first Children’s Hospital was formally inaugurated by Oscar award-winner A.R.Rahman on Thursday, the July 29th, 2009, in Chennai. Apollo Hospitals Chairman Dr. Prathap C. Reddy unveiled plans for five such stand-alone Children’s hospitals of the group.

While one of the five will be located abroad, the four others will be started in the country with a budget of Rs. 35 lakh per hospital. Work has already begun and the details are being worked out and also on the cards is a multi-speciality unit in Mauritius to be inaugurated this year.

Speaking at a meeting after the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Mr. Rahman spoke of the importance of working as a team. “Without a team, a man cannot achieve his vision,” he said after giving away mementoes to those who had helped in setting up the hospital and a group of beneficiaries under Apollo’s Save a Child’ Heart programme. Complimenting Apollo for well-oiled teamwork, he added, “I hope children do not go there, but if they have to, I know they will be well taken care of.”

The ACH, an 80-bed hospital spread over nearly 40,000 sq ft, is designed to provide comprehensive care to children and adolescents up to 16 years under one roof. The construction work on the three-storey building began in late January this year and had been completed in record time by April-end.

State-of-the-art facilities were available on the premises with over 40 paediatric specialists and superspecialists and 180 nurses on call at the ACH. It will also use the equipment available at Apollo’s main hospital.

The pediatric super-speciality services offered at Apollo Children’s Hospital include Cardiology, Cardiac Surgery, Laproscopic Surgery, Urology, Neurology, Neuro Surgery, Nephrology, Orthopaedics, Gastroenterology and Oncology

The other Children’s hospitals would soon come up throughout the country and overseas.