The state government of Jammu and Kashmir, India, has laid the foundation stone for the Areesha Royal Hospital & Medical College at Medicity, Srinagar.

The 500-bed health facility aims to provide medical services, create jobs for youth and healthcare professionals and add 100 Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree opportunities.

Its development required a total investment of Rs5587m ($67.32m).

The facility is intended to serve as a hub for medical education and research, with the medical college expected to advance both healthcare delivery and education in the region.

Jammu & Kashmir Governor Manoj Sinha laid the foundation stone for the facility, which is part of efforts to create an inclusive and equitable healthcare ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir.

Governor Sinha said: “The Areesha Royal Hospital and Medical College is poised to become a hub for medical education and research, adding to the knowledge and expertise in the healthcare sector.

“This achievement is a significant milestone in our commitment to foster private investment in medical infrastructure, ensuring that modern, integrated, and high-quality healthcare services are accessible to the residents of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Under the visionary guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jammu and Kashmir is establishing a healthcare ecosystem that is centred around the needs of the people, enhancing inclusivity and accessibility, particularly in the remote regions.”

The Kashmiri Images reported that the facility is the third private-sector hospital in Jammu and Kashmir.

Two more hospitals are planned to be developed in the two provinces in future.

Last year, a 500-bed children's hospital was opened at Srinagar at a cost of around $14.10m.

The hospital offers paediatric cardiology, neurology, gastroenterology, neonatology, nephrology, surgery and orthopaedics among other services.

It is the second children's hospital to be opened in the state, after the GB Pant Hospital.