About
JOURNEY : APPLE & SARASWATI HOSPITAL
SARASWATI HOSPITAL
1982 : Dr Ashok Bhupali, comes to Kolhapur after completing his DM in Cardiology & starts practicing as a Clinical Cardiologist. First cardiologist of the region.
1983 : Mahalaxmi Hospital launched & starts functioning.
1984 : First ICCU of the region started in Mahalaxmi Hospital.
1984 To 1997 : Mahalxmi Hospital gains overwhelming support from Medical fraternity & the society, becomes a preferred institute to manage cardiac cases.
1998 : Increasing no of patients & a need for bigger set up to accommodate more indoor patients, necessitates to have bigger Hospital premises. Saraswati Hospital, in Dasara chowk, Kolhapur acquired. This makes availability of 70 Beds.
1998 To 2004 : The new Hospital set up increases the patient flow & Saraswati Hospital becomes a name to reckon in not only, Cardiology but also, in Critical care,Internal Medicine, Nephrology (Dialysis), General Surgery & Gynaecology.
1998 to 2004 : Now Hospital gets the advanced equipments & also the expertise, with 4 Physicians, & many medical officers to take care of ailing patients round the clock.
2000 To 2004 : Saraswati Hospital becomes the Leader in Cardiology & Critical Care Management .
2004 : A tie up with Apple Hospital brings to Saraswati Hospital the Region’s First Cath lab for the Interventional Cardiology, Angiography, Angioplasty & other interventional procedurs started.
2004 : Within a few months of the Cath lab, the Cadio – Thorasic Surgery centre started with a Resident Cardiac Surgeon & Bypass surgery (CABG) & other surgical procedures commenced.
2004 -2005 : Recognition of excellent quality work in the areas of Cardiology & Critical Care came from various quarters & particularly Medical Field.Nationalite Board approved the Hospital for its DNB courses by granting 4 seats for DNB medicine & one seat for DNB Cardology.IDCC course also started.
2005-2010 : Saraswati Hospital becomes the Leading Hospital in the 5 districts of South West Maharashtra.
2011-2012 : Merger of Apple Hospital & Saraswati Hospital.
2011-2012 : The development of today’s Apple Saraswati Hospital on a sprawling plot of 5.5 acres to the APPLE SARASWATI MULTISPECIALITY HOSPITAL.
April 2012 : The Apple Saraswati Mutispeciality Hospital commences its services with Cardiology, Crtical Care, Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery & Gynaecology.
2012-2013 : APPLE SARASWATI MULTISPECIALITY HOSPITAL, becomes fully functional by adding another few departments,viz NEPHROLOGY.PICU/NICU
2013-2014 : Department of Neuro Surgery started with full time skilled & renowned Neurosurgeon & is equipped with all advanced gadgets.
The Hospital has been now approved by the Government as a “Renal Transplant Centre”.
APPLE SARASWATI MULTI-SPECIALITY HOSPITALS
Apple hospitals was launched in 1994 by a small group of like-minded people from the medical fraternity. Dr. Ashok Bhupali, a well-known Cardiologist, found an overwhelming need to form such a diagnostic center; as during those days patients from kolhapur and surrounding districts had to travel to far off places like Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore even for primary diagnostic investigations and spend a lot of money. Dr. Kiran Patankar, an expert Sonologist, joined him and the organization initiated its humble beginning in a small rented 640 sq. ft. Place, at Bhausingji Road, Kolhapur. They formed a private limited company with the help of 50 medical professionals.
Beginning with a b&w ultrasound machine ge rt-3200, initially, they concentrated fully on ultrasonography and 2-d echocardiography. The aim was to develop a diagnostic center with the best & the latest technology.
The encouraging support & overwhelming response by the medical fraternity and the general public encouraged the founders to change the constitution from a private limited to a public limited company in April 1997.
Today the company has more than 450 shareholders. Almost all shareholders belong to the medical fraternity, as by constitution, the shareholding is open only for the medical professionals.
The mission of providing the highest quality services to medical professionals & most cost-competitive service to the patients & the society was taken up. Therefore the directors decided to pursue the task of availing the best and the latest technology and periodically kept on adding new diagnostic instruments such as, whole-body color doppler philips hdi um –9, and marquets max-1 stress test including the 24-hour holter monitoring system.
In 1997, new premises of 15000 sq. ft. was purchased in the important business area of Shahupuri, Kolhapur. This enabled the company to add newer high-end diagnostic equipments to establish its claim as a” complete diagnostic center”.
500ma x-ray (meditronics) with ii & cr(agfa), 64slice multiscanner cardiac ct (siemens) and colour doppler echocardiography system v was added in a phased manner.
A computerized pathology department was also set up, with all ultra-modern equipments. To complete the portfolio, within the first 6-7 years only, Apple had equipped itself with all the ultra-modern technology diagnostic instruments to serve the medical fraternity and the society.
The quality services provided by “Apple” were highly appreciated by the doctors & the patients as well. The response & faith shown by the medical fraternity & the society helped the company to venture in to even more sophisticated & prime diagnostic gadgets.
In April 2002, ‘Apple’ installed world’s best whole-body magnetic resonance system 1.5 tesla siemens mri – symphony maestro class.
In September 2002, one more world’s best – 3d/4d real-time anomaly scanner,voluson 730 expert series color doppler -(ge ) for the detection of the congenital foetal anomaly.
June 2004 was special for apple, as the dream project of chairman & managing director of apple, Dr. Ashok Bhupali, became a reality, with setting up of modern highly equipped Cardiac Hospital,‘apple heart institute’.
India’s first & the most advanced first digital flat panel cath lab –axiom-artis dfc+(siemens) was installed. Highly experienced cardiologists, medical and paramedical staff, cathlab technicians joined this project.
As per apple’s main motto to bring the highest technology in affordable cost to the masses, our cathlab project is also designed. Apple offers the lowest charges (only rs. 4000/-) for angiography’s package. Apple proudly announces this distinction, as the only company offering this rate all over India.
Encouraging response from all corners of the society & medical practitioners helped apple to commission the cardiac surgery department, with full-time resident cardiac surgeon, cardiac anesthetist, & the supporting staff.