AIG Hospitals to invest ₹2,000 crore in Visakhapatnam

AIG Hospitals will invest ₹2,000 crore to establish a 1,000-bed hospital at Endada in Anandapuram mandal, Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh said on Monday.

Speaking after laying the foundation stone, Mr. Lokesh said the project would include healthcare, medical training and research facilities. The hospital will have an outpatient capacity of 5,000 patients a day, offer 50 specialities and create about 9,000 jobs. Nearly 1,000 doctors are expected to provide medical services.

Mr. Lokesh said the State government would prioritise education and healthcare and extend all possible support to the project. He praised doctors for their services during the COVID-19 pandemic and lauded AIG Chairman Dr. D. Nageshwar Reddy for his contribution to gastroenterology and medical research.

Describing AIG as more than a corporate hospital, Mr. Lokesh said it was committed to making quality healthcare accessible to people from all sections of society, including the poor. He said the government aimed to develop Visakhapatnam into a trillion-dollar economic region and a major healthcare hub.

Assembly Speaker Chintakayala Ayyanna Patrudu praised Dr. Nageshwar Reddy’s contribution to medicine and research and recalled receiving treatment from him during an illness.

Dr. Nageshwar Reddy said the project was personally significant as he was born at King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam and spent his early years in the city. He said AIG would build a hospital focused on affordable healthcare, research and medical training. “The cost of treatment should not become a barrier for patients,” he said.

Dr. Reddy said Visakhapatnam could emerge as a major healthcare destination, reducing the need for patients to travel to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad for specialised treatment.