The Mehta family, the promoter group of the famous Lilavati Hospital, opened a one-of-a-kind pharmacy store in Ahmedabad. This store is the first in a chain of 500 pharmacy stores that the promoters plan to set up across the country in the next five years.
Prashant Mehta, director of Lilavati Foundation, told THE WEEK that this is the first time in India that a pharmacy store will have a doctor. “The concept of having a doctor in pharmacy stores is in the US and we are introducing this for the first time in India,” he said.
Spread over 2,700 square feet, the store has been set up at a cost of Rs 1 crore. It will have generic and prescription medicine.
Some stores will be owned by the promoters and they will also look out for franchise partners. In Gujarat, stores will be opened in Vadodara, Rajkot and Surat.
Mehta said the pharmacy chain will be a service-oriented one that will offer free medical check-ups for the poor. They will also have a facility to administer vaccines and measure blood pressure. There will be gold, silver and bronze memberships as well for the pharmacy store. The members will be offered a wellness programme.
The Lilavati Pharmacy project, he said, entails creating world-class, luxurious pharmacies that offer a comprehensive range of medicines, surgical and medical equipment.
The Mehtas are also setting up a state-of-the-art 300-bed hospital in Gift City, Gandhinagar. Mehta said the construction of the hospital is expected to be completed in about 15 months, at a cost of Rs 300 crore. The hospital will have an air ambulance facility.
Mehta said they are in talks with top US hospitals for doctors, doctors’ training and technology transfer.