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AIIMS Guwahati get Rs 6.5cr advanced Neurosurgical OT The Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. (PGCIL), under its Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, provided financial support of Rs 6.5 million to establish the advanced neurosurgical OT. The funding allowed for the purchase of cutting-edge equipment to improve precision, safety and outcomes during complex spine and brain surgeries, according to a government release. The facility, which is state-of the-art, was inaugurated informally by Prof. (Dr. Ashok Puranik), executive director of AIIMS Guwahati. Surendra Majhi senior general manager and project head at PGCIL were also present.

Corporations have stepped forward to provide high-cost, advanced equipment for complex and delicate procedures in the neurological field. Puranik said that the role of corporations in supporting healthcare extends beyond sustainability. He continued, “Many brain tumours patients, vascular malformations and nerve injuries sufferers, as well as spinal conditions, have benefited greatly from this timely availability of advanced equipment.” These contributions reflect the corporate commitment to improve healthcare affordability, support the community, and achieve better outcomes. Surendra Kumar Majhi reaffirmed PGCIL’s commitment in supporting social development, especially through CSR initiatives.

Published May 4, 2026 07:25 AM IST.

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Kanpur will be home to North India’s first speech and listening institute by October

Kanpur has been given a boost in healthcare, education and research with the creation of the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing Satellite Centre. The institute in Surar is currently under construction as a branch of the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing. The project, which is being constructed at a cost Rs180 crore and covering proximately 81,000 square meters, should be completed by October 31, 2026. The institute will become the only one of its kind in North India and the second in the entire country once it is completed. This will help reduce the dependence on Mysore. The centre will feature state-of-the art infrastructure, similar to the Mysore institution, with advanced audiology laboratories and speech thery facilities, as well as specialised research and training resources. Jitendra Prt Singh, district magistrate, recently visited the construction site to review the quality and pace of work. He told the officials that they should complete the work on time, without compromising the standards. He also stressed the importance of regular monitoring the project. The DM added that the institute was expected to play a key role in promoting specialised training and research in speech-language and hearing sciences, as well as providing advanced healthcare.

Separate hostels will be built for 102 male students and 102 women, to accommodate learners from around the country. Construction is progressing quickly on the pre-primary school and medical block. The unit for pre-primary children will concentrate on early diagnosis and intervention in speech and hearing disorders among young kids. The project is implemented by NPCC Limited, under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. IIT (BHU), Varanasi supervises the technical quality of the project.

Published on May 4, 2026, at 7:27 AM (IST)

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The Centre relaxes the building height regulations to allow for vertical expansion in Hospitals.

New Delhi, India: In response a long-standing request from the private sector of healthcare, the Center has eased the height restriction of hospitals. The Bureau of Indian Standards, which replaced the National Building Code, last week notified a new National Building Construction Standards, 2026. This eases infrastructure restrictions imposed on hospitals, intensive care units and other healthcare facilities, but with enhanced fire safety provisions. Dr Sangita Reddy Group MD of ollo Hospitals & President, NATHEALTH welcomed the amendments. “The new rules are a timely step to enable future-ready infrastructure for healthcare in India.” In addition to allowing hospitals to optimize their costs, they will be able to operate more efficiently. Fortis Healthcare CEO Dr Ashutosh Raghuvanshi said that the ability to expand vertically would help fill cacity gs in urban areas with high density, while also avoiding long gestation times associated with new hospital development. According to NATHEALTH the reform allows hospitals to improve their operational efficiency, better utilize the existing infrastructure while reducing cital expenditure and the time required for new greenfield project.

Published May 4, 2026 08:17 AM IST.

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The patient’s wait for a ventilator lasted 18 hours. The healthcare system has been unable to keep up with the demands of the patient. He is now on the edge of death. Harpreet the brother of the patient recalled that their ordeal began on May 1, at 6:30pm, when his brother was beaten on his head by a sickle. This happened in Samrala, Punjab. “We rushed to a private Ludhiana hospital where he was then intubated and taken to Govt Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh.

The family’s nightmare was only beginning. Around 1am the family learned that no ventilator-equipped bed was available. In the next hour, his family was transferred to PGI. However, they encountered a bureaucratic obstacle. The critical case was not handled by a doctor who coordinated the care.

While they waited for a room, the relatives manually pump an ambu bag over a three-hour period. They claimed that the doctors in the emergency room told them to return Manpreet because no beds were likely to become available soon.

They left only to rush back to GMCH in the morning with Manpreet suffering from respiratory distress. He was in a worse condition on the way. They were sent to PGI by GMCH. After TOI intervened, a ventilator finally became available on Saturday afternoon and the patient was moved to ICU. This case has shocked the authorities. Dr Ravneet Kour, the director principal of GMCH told TOI they were going to purchase more ventilators, while Prof Vivek Lal, the PGI director, promised that they would do “man-to man mping” in order for doctors to coordinate personally during critical referrals. Neurosurgeons in the area have proposed a centralised, real-time pool of public and private ICUs in the city in order to avoid such distressing cases. This wake-up message may not be enough to prompt the authorities into action.

Published May 4, 2026 04:55 PM IST.

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M&A boom sweeps Gujarats healthcare market –

Ahmedabad. The private sector in Gujarat is undergoing a consolidation wave, with mergers and acquisitions as well as operational tie-ups increasing across cities such Ahmedabad Vadodara, and Surat. Recent deals show a clear shift in strategy among the large hospital chains. They are expanding their cacity and strengthening their regional presence more through acquisitions than by launching new projects. Marengo Asia Hospitals acquired a majority stake in Sunshine Global Hospitals which runs two NABH accredited facilities in Surat, Vadodara, with a total cacity of 400 beds. This expansion in western India is being done by Marengo Asia Hospitals. Marengo’s cacity in Gujarat now exceeds 1,150 beds. This places it in the top five hospital networks of the state. “As our expansion in western India continues, we are becoming one of Gujarat’s largest players,” stated Dr Raajiv Singal, founder member, group managing Director and CEO of Marengo Asia Hospitals. Sources from the industry added that consolidations were driven both by the expansion ambitions and operational pressures of smaller, doctor run hospitals. While the larger players strive for scale, multi-city networks and digital infrastructure, smaller hospitals are faced with increasing administrative costs and regulatory compliance.

Today, running a hospital is more than just providing clinical care. A small business owner said that the cost of accreditation standards, administrative systems, and insurance processes are often too high for smaller businesses to afford. Maxivision’s chairman and managing directors, Dr GSK Velu said that Gujarat is a key growth market. After building a solid base in cities such as Rajkot, Morbi and Jamnagar, we are now evaluating opportunities in major centres. Bhailal Amin General Hospital has acquired two hospitals in Vadodara. One is in the old town and another in Gotri. Both are expected to be operational in the near future. Parul Sevashram (PSH) in Vadodara has acquired hospital operations located in Channi and Padra. “We’re also in discussions with other hospitals”, said Dr Geetika Patel, director of PSH, and vice-president at Parul University.

According to industry experts, corporate hospital chains can benefit from improved financial management and standardised clinical protocols, as well as stronger procurement systems. This will improve efficiency and profitability. Due to their limited administrative abilities, standalone hospitals face difficulties in scaling up. Analysts attribute this trend to Gujarat’s industrial base, increasing urbanisation and the growing demand for advanced healthcare.

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Top private hospitals could drop out of government-sponsored health plans.

Bengaluru. The contribution that government health schemes make to the revenues at India’s largest private hospital chains has declined. This may indicate that private healthcare providers are reevaluating their involvement. Experts believe that payment delays, low reimbursements, and price restrictions may have contributed to the squeeze on profitability. Max Healthcare, Narayana Health and Fortis Healthcare are among the hospital chains that have reported revenue impacts and highlighted challenges with managing government health schemes. Data from the business advisory firm PraxisGlobal Alliance shows that, on average, state-backed healthcare schemes like the Central Government Health Scheme, Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme, and Central Government Health Scheme, account for 25% of revenues at top private hospitals. Praxis Global Alliance said to ET that government schemes’ revenue share could fall by 3-5 percent in the first quarter FY27, due to de-empanelment of selected employees or bed cs.

CGHS provides coverage for central government workers and pensioners while ECHS offers protection to defence personnel, their families and dependents. Both have set rates for private hospitals that are accredited and both have played a central role in the current dispute.

While the signs of unhpiness have been evident since 2020, the voices from the industry have only become louder over the past year. ollo Hospitals is not directly talking about government schemes because they are a very small part of the business. In the third fiscal quarter of FY26 83% of revenue from inpatients came from cash and insurance patients, according to its management. All other categories including government schemes are a smaller portion of the remaining 17%. A query sent via email to

ollo Hospitals was not answered until the time of publication. Experts believe that there are two pressures: low reimbursement rates and slow payment. Akhil Puligadda is a Praxis Global Alliance practice member in healthcare and life science. He said that hospitals were trying to switch their payer mix to payers who have shorter payment periods. This would help them maintain a healthier working cital. Max Healthcare

‘s losses have been quantified. On its Q3 results call, it estimated a Rs. 200-crore impact on revenue from joining CGHS. It must provide a 30% discount for chemothery drugs under its memorandum.

“We discontinued the supply of drugs when the margin was below 30%. In cases where the margin exceeds 30%, we continue to supply but with lower revenues,” said Yogesh Sareen, chief financial officer, in an earnings conference call. Yogesh Sareen estimated that the current hit was Rs 140 crore, after taking into account GST and oncology effects. Abhay Soi, Chairman of

, said: “What they asked was to sell below the purchase cost. Everyone has stopped using it.

A deliberate backwards move Narayana Health took a conscious decision in December to limit scheme volumes for hospitals in the northern region. This was due to late payments and drug coverage cs. The company stated that “this resulted into a conscious decision to control the volume of schemes”. HealthCare Global was under different pressures. The transition of the Odisha State Scheme pushed down average revenue per patient by 3% in its eastern cluster. A dispute in Andhra Pradesh over a state-sponsored scheme led to a strike of nearly 25 days in Vizag. This caused a disruption in volume for several months due to the long cancer treatment cycles. Manish Mattoo, the chief executive officer of , said that “the impact is manageable and structurally insignificant”. Fortis Healthcare has seen positive results with CGHS after rate revisions, but the hospital network said confusion about drug pricing remains under ECHS. Experts in healthcare say hospital chains rely on high-value treatment and private patients for revenue growth. Madhur Singhal is the managing partner of Praxis Global Alliance. He said that on the financing side some hospitals pledge government receivables for short-term loans from non-banking finance companies (NBFC). Max Healthcare says that the longer-term solution lies in revised rates.

Published on May 7, 2026, at 8:06 AM (IST)

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