Torrent Group’s philanthropic arm, UNM Foundation, will invest around Rs. 9.1 bn to develop an 800-bed hospital and a 150-seat medical college in Vyara, in Gujarat’s Tapi district. The project is being undertaken through a public-private partnership with the Gujarat government and is intended to expand specialised healthcare and medical education in South Gujarat’s tribal belt.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel performed the bhoomi pooja for the new hospital building on Tuesday. The facility will replace the existing 156-bed General Hospital, with construction scheduled for completion within the next 2.5 years, according to Torrent Group officials.

As an interim arrangement, Patel inaugurated a 317-bed transitional hospital on the existing Vyara General Hospital campus. It will accommodate patients and clinical services from the current hospital while construction of the new facility is in progress, allowing treatment to continue without interruption.

The transitional facility includes 271 ward beds and 46 critical-care beds, along with 24 outpatient department rooms covering 17 clinical specialties. It also has four operation theatres, an intensive care unit, neonatal and paediatric intensive care units, emergency-care facilities, diagnostic services and an 8-bed dialysis unit. These services are intended to provide a broader range of treatment locally during the construction period.

The subsequent phase will include a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) medical college and hostel with 150 seats. UNM Foundation said the project would benefit nearly 800,000 people in Tapi and adjoining areas of Gujarat and Maharashtra, reducing the need for patients to travel about 75 km to Surat for specialised treatment. The initiative is also intended to help students from rural and tribal communities pursue medical education closer to home while improving access to affordable healthcare in border districts.