Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences plans to set up clincs in Arab world

The Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), a multi-specialty hospital located in Kerala, India, and one of the country’s premier medical centers, has announced plans to set up clinics in Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Saudi Arabia in 2007.  In addition, KIMS will expand its capacity at its offshore facility in Bahrain, which was opened in 2004. 

"To begin with, we are starting a medical centre in Saudi Arabia though we got permission for a full-fledged hospital," said Dr M I Sahadullah, chairman and managing director of KIMS. "We have a built-up space of 50,000sq ft in a three- storied building. Initially there will be a staff of 100, including some 20 doctors," Sahadullah said. 

Although KIMS does not currently hold Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation (the standards of which are the same for U.S. hospitals), it is the first Indian hospital to get the Australian Council for Healthcare Standards International accreditation and is pioneering medical tourism in Kerala.   

Also, despite the fact that it doesn’t hold JCI-accreditation, the hospital received the recognition from the state government for being the highest foreign exchange earner and for attracting the most number of patients from abroad.  It is likely only a matter of time before KIMS is granted JCI accreditation.    

KIMS has a workforce of 1,000, who provide a range of services in approximately 34 specialties.  There are 170 senior doctors working at KIMS, all of whom are highly qualified and experienced and some of whom are teaching doctors of national and international repute.  Patients go to KIMS to undergo open heart surgery, cosmetic procedures, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, joint replacement, cochlear implants, and a wide variety of treatments. 

Inexpensive treatment prices, quality care, and a relatively easy entry process offered by Asian countries are among some of the benefits that have been luring Arab health tourists to the region.  Plus, it is the only hospital in Kerala approved in the UAE for insurance companies to refer patients.  But now, the Arabs who have traveled to India for treatment will have a KIMS in their own backyard. 

"We will get our own hospital constructed in Bahrain soon. All diagnostic and therapeutic facilities will be available at our offshore facilities. We offer ultramodern facilities at affordable costs to all nationalities and all income groups," said Dr. Sahadullah. 

For now, KIMS has immediate plans of establishing clinics, not hospitals, in the Arab world; the first of which will start functioning in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, in February.  To get to the main hospital, one must travel to Kerala. 

The KIMS there is a 500-bed institution that offers more than 34 specialties and has made great advances in the field of medical tourism.  The hospital has state-of-the-art equipment, a highly qualified staff, and practice international standards in infection control.