Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) Group, a leading Indian healthcare services firm, has announced expansion of its operations in Bahrain through acquisition of a key hospital in the kingdom, said a report.

"By acquiring Medex Medical Centre in Riffa, we have started our primary healthcare service expansion in the kingdom," KIMS Group chairman Dr Mohammad Sahadulla told a Press conference held at the K Hotel in Juffair yesterday.

KIMS' first GCC franchise was the KIMS Bahrain Medical Centre. The Royal Bahrain Hospital (RBH) is also a part of the group's overseas operations. Both have significant investments in the kingdom.

"The facility, now renamed as RBH Medex, will have access to RBH's specialty doctors and infrastructure, increasing its patient capacity to 150 patients a day in comparison to a mere 17 patients a day earlier," he added.

RBH Medex is a 24/7 medical centre with state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment, multi-speciality clinics and an extension of RBH's outpatient department services.

A large panel of doctors including general practitioners, family doctors and other major disciplines along with a 24-hour pharmacy and ambulance service will be some of the key features of the medical centre.

"We hope that with RBH's proficient medical team and advanced infrastructure along with Medex's existing facility, RBH Medex, will be able to grow from strength to strength, making world-class medical services easily accessible to the people of Riffa and surrounding areas," Dr Sahadulla said.

"Our vision is to extend KIMS' medical expertise through the length and breadth of the country," he added.

An investment of $1.5 million was made in the centre. "There are plans to open two more such centres in Hidd and the Northern Governorate within a year," RBH president Ahmed Jawahery told the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

"A magnetic resonance imaging centre adjacent to RBH, being built at a cost of $1.6 million, is also in the offing," he added.

Health Ministry Under-Secretary Dr Aisha Mubarak Bu Unuq said that with a rapidly increasing population of locals and expatriates, it is always helpful to have support from private medical institutions to meet the growing medical demands.-TradeArabia News Service