Sri Lanka’s Asiri Hospital Holdings has announced plans to establish a new US$100 million hospital within the Port City Colombo economic zone. The hospital would have over 500 rooms, and would join Asiri’s network of 11 other medical facilities across the island nation.

A fully owned subsidiary – Asiri Port City Hospital Ltd – has been established by the company to manage the project, and has now entered into an agreement with the Colombo Port City Economic Commission to lease a site in the zone for a period of 99 years.

Asiri Port City Hospital Ltd has also partnered with an unnamed ‘international corporation’ that specialises in ‘innovative treatment options’, who will provide strategic and/or operational consulting services’ to the project.

The company stated that the finished hospital is intended to deliver ‘state-of-the-art healthcare solutions and … patient care services’, through ‘integrated clinical practice, education and research’.

The hospital will also aim to ‘engage local and international medical experts and specialists’, alongside ‘internationally trained and experienced nursing and medical care staff’.

“This new venture by Asiri Hospitals of Softlogic Group in Sri Lanka is a significant milestone in the country’s journey towards developing and attracting medical tourism,” said Ashok Pathirage, Founder, Chairman and Managing Director of Asiri’s parent company, Softlogic.

“It is pivotal for Sri Lanka at this juncture to aspire and be bold in taking the initiative to help revamp the country’s healthcare sector to newer heights and becoming Asia’s preferred medical tourism destination and in the process contribute to re-engineer the economic and social development in Sri Lanka,” he added.

China’s Boao Lecheng Medical Tourism Pilot Zone in Qionghai recently reported a significant surge in visitors.