Chennai
When Villupuram-based Rajaraman’s daughter was expecting her first child, he didn’t want to take her to Puducherry, the nearest place that has reliable medical care. Upon enquiry, he came across Motherhood in Chennai, where his daughter delivered her baby. Aafreen Huq, a school teacher and homemaker, who is based in Perambur, didn’t mind travelling all the way to T Nagar to visit her doctor and have her first baby at Cloudnine in T Nagar. Aafreen says, “The entire facility is for maternity--- soon-to-be mothers and mothers. I was looking for something like that. Unlike other places, where you wait in queue amid other patients to meet doctors across specialities,” she says.
Over the last two years, the market for boutique birthing facilities has expanded rapidly in the city. With state-of-the-art facilities including LDRs (labour/ delivery and recovery rooms), tastefully decorated interiors, executive suites, and personalised attention, easy instalments and insurance have made several middle income families opt for these birthing centres.
Vijaya Meenakshi, Facility Director, Motherhood, says, “We offer EMI options and with insurance, so it is within the reach of a larger section of people. The whole package includes everything from scan to regular consultations to eventually delivery. There is a dedicated point person for each of the patients. After delivery it is about the baby. There is NICU (neo-natal intensive care unit) for comprehensive care for the newborns.”
Easy payment options:
Maternity costs and delivery at any private hospital in the city work out to close to Rs 50,000 for a normal delivery and almost a lakh for C-section. And these new facilities claim to offer more than just basic facilities for almost the same price.
Working closely with some of the top insurance companies and third party agencies, these facilities also provide a range of packages and cashless services.
“Our all-inclusive packages at our Chennai facility start from Rs. 60,000 for normal deliveries and Rs. 70,000 for C-Section deliveries. This includes consultations, nutrition and physiotherapy sessions, lactation counselling, basic delivery charges, planned diet for the mother and basic baby test charges,” says Rohit MA, Managing Director, Cloudnine.
However, for mothers like Anitha Anand, a working professional, cost is not a deciding factor. “All I need is a pleasant birthing experience and since it is our first child, my husband and I want it to be special. Comfort not cost was the key decider,” she says.
Designer birth:
Plush interiors and suites along with basic executive rooms, these centres are nothing short of serviced apartments. Lamaze (childbirth) classes, antenatal workshops, physiotherapy and yoga classes and Management of baby affairs (MBA) classes to train everyone who will be caring for the newborn baby and mother at home are just some of the extended facilities these centres offer. Rohit says, “Our infrastructure and processes are designed around the needs of a pregnant woman and we consciously try to create an environment wherein a woman can enjoy her pregnancy and think of it as a wellness experience.” Vijaya adds that baby showers make motherhood even more special for mothers.
With a surge in demand, Cloudnine is already planning expansions in just two years, extending facilities to districts. “We plan expand further in Chennai by opening clinics in Velachery and Anna Nagar. We are also evaluating the prospects of opening facilities in other cities in Tamil Nadu including Coimbatore and Madurai,” adds Rohit.
Dr Padmapriya Vivek, consultant Ob-Gyn, Apollo Cradle, Karapakkam says that the facility sees a majority of patients from the IT corridor and places like Pammal. “With an emphasis on normal delivery through painless epidural analgesia and that is a big advantage for those who want normal delivery. Being a dedicated space for only mothers and children, they feel a lot more relaxed,” she says.
Designer Delivery:
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