Mumbai : The Apollo Hospitals Group has launched boutique birthing centers - a new segment in the Indian healthcare sector. To be called 'The Cradle', these state-of-the-art specialised maternity care centres will cater to the needs of the expectant mothers and the new borns. These maternity centres have been launched through Apollo Health and Lifestyle Limited (AHLL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Apollo Hospitals Group.

The Cradle, claims the company, will bring to Indian mothers the best birthing facilities all under one roof in line with global standards by combining personalised care with highly specialised medical facilities.

According to Ratan Jalan, chief executive officer, Apollo Health and Lifestyle Limited, "Normally, a visit to a hospital is associated with a trauma or a disease. At Apollo, we see giving birth to a child as a joyful experience and have therefore ensured that The Cradle does not wear the look of a hospital."

In line with international practices, The Cradle will have the facility of private birthing suites - an all-in-one labour-delivery-recovery room, which will be fully equipped with all the medical facilities required for a normal delivery. This will help do away with all the inconvenience caused to the mother by shifting her from the labour room to delivery room to the recovery room.

Dr Prathap C Reddy, chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group said, "The Apollo Group has always brought the best of global trends in healthcare to India by creating new segments to cater to the specific needs of the consumer. We are proud to be breaking yet another initiative in the Indian market through The Cradle."

The facility will have special classes and programmes on childbirth preparation, Lamaze classes, parents and sibling education programmes, antenatal exercises including aerobics, diet and nutrition and genetic counselling by trained personnel.

"Apollo is planning to set up at least 8-10 birthing centres across Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Chandigarh and abroad, through joint ventures. The first joint venture for the birthing centre had already been signed with Sunrise Medicare Limited promoted jointly by the Burman family of Dabur India and the Talwar Group," said Jalan.

Commenting on the association, Naresh Talwar, chairman, Sunrise Medicare Limited, said, "Our first 26-room specialised obstetrics and neonatology facility will set and maintain international standards and practices in maternity care in a premium environment. The facility will offer the best of doctors, state-of-the-art medical technology, pre and post natal care and counselling health programmes for mothers."

Apollo Health and Lifestyle is credited with setting and successfully achieving international level healthcare standards in India. IIM Bangalore and NIS have been engaged to provide training to the franchisees and the employees, while Wipro Healthcare IT has provided the entire clinic management software. Renowned architect Alfaz Miller has spearheaded the architecture, interiors, signage and project execution and designer Ravi Bajaj has designed the staff uniforms.