KEF Infra, leaders of innovative, integrated offsite manufacturing and prefabrication in India, and Kovai Medical Center and Hospital Ltd. (KMCH), Tamil Nadu’s most trusted multi-speciality hospital, recently announced their partnership, while breaking ground on the new college Hospital building in Kalapatti, Coimbatore.
The facility, which is designed by Coimbatore-based Sankar and Associates, is KEF Infra’s latest hospital project that will be prefabricated at its integrated factory in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu and then shipped to Coimbatore and assembled at site. Spread across close to 6,50,500 sq.ft., the multi-speciality facility is being developed with an investment of over Rs. 200 crores in a record-breaking 15 months. The partners are also working together to build a hostel for students which will be around 3,50,500 sq.ft. taking the entire project size to an area of 1 million sq.ft.
The 700 bed facility will have centres of excellence in healthcare and features including individual intensive care suites, consulting rooms, operating theatres and emergency units – treatment bays, setting global benchmarks in healthcare experience.
Founded by Mr. Faizal E. Kottikollon in 2014 as a subsidiary of KEF Holdings, KEF Infra, headquartered in Bangalore is at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution 4.0, in the field of construction and infrastructure. The company uses integrated offsite manufacturing technology, automation and robotics to manufacture hospitals, homes, hotels, commercial buildings, and schools, at 50% lesser time than traditional construction. The new-age company will manufacture the hospital at its’ 42 acres, site first-of-its-kind fully-integrated assembly–line, factory KEF Infra One located at Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu, and will complete the structure of the global standard medical facility within 9 months. The rest of the hospital including the bathroom pods, modular MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing), rooms, façade and finishes will also be prefabricated at the firm’s state-of-the-art industrial park.
Dr. Nalla G Palaniswami, Chairman, KMCH shared “We are delighted to partner with KEF Infra for our new teaching hospital. This is our first facility to be built using offsite manufacturing and modular technology. We have witnessed many hospitals being constructed efficiently in the west using this expertise, and are glad that today we have a company bringing this technology to India. We are happy to be pioneering partners with KEF Infra and are excited about working together to showcase this new, innovative and efficient way of building hospitals. KEF and KMCH have shared values, we both believe in bringing in the best technology to improve the lives of people in India. Our partnership will ensure that we not only treat people with the best expertise but also build our hospitals with the best technology.”
KMCH has a legacy of over 25 years of delivering the best of care to patients in the areas of Heart Care, Cancer Treatment, Neuro care, Orthopedics, Critical Care and Trauma amongst others. Committed to delivering modern care with world–class techniques KMCH remains dedicated to medical research and education through their renowned fellowships and DNB programs. This medical college is another step in their mission to improve community health and well-being by providing world-class patient care, education and training.
India today faces a substantial divide between demand and supply of quality healthcare facilities. The fundamental reason behind this gap is the high costs and time involved in building and upgrading healthcare infrastructure. The best way to deliver international standard healthcare, for superior patient experience and treatment is to employ patient-centric design and supplement it with offsite building technology to ensure a fast and reliable solution. This model is the only practical way to meet the healthcare needs of India’s fast-growing population.
Mr. Faizal Kottikollon, Founder and Chairman, KEF Infra, shared “We are very excited to work with KMCH as the hospital management is truly forward–thinking in their approach. Their willingness to adopt new technology is remarkable and we need more such thought–leaders to transform India’s healthcare sector. Today, India has only 1.3 hospital beds per 1,000 people, which is significantly lower than the 3.5 beds defined by the World Health Organization. To address this, we have pioneered a fast and reliable solution termed “catalogue approach”. We offer a catalogue of modular designs, complying with standards set by the Joint Commission International - an international healthcare accreditation service. Our catalogue hospitals range from small 15-bed to 500-bed facilities, with the number of pre-designed modules changing based on the facilities requirements. We are determined to revolutionise the healthcare infrastructure sector by providing innovative solutions to transform human lives and the world around us”.
KEF’s ‘assemble rather than build’ solution is bringing about a paradigm shift in healthcare infrastructure development. They made their foray into the healthcare infrastructure sector with MEITRA Hospital – a 400,000 sq.ft., 500 bed (Phase 1, 209 completed) super specialty tertiary hospital built in 18 months in Calicut, Kerala. They have created a model that successfully bridges the gap between architecture, engineering and technology, while reducing considerable environmental impact, redefining the future of healthcare facilities through this hospital.
India’s healthcare sector is on the cusp of rapid growth, rising income level, greater health awareness and improved access to insurance are the key contributors. Offsite manufacturing and modular construction in healthcare will be a significant catalyst to the sector’s success. It will be the cornerstone on which India builds its position as a leading player in the global healthcare market.
