Addressing a press meet today Dr Mandke said the 400-bed hospital, equipped with three cardiac catheterisation laboratories and eight operating rooms, would have the capacity to perform 20 operations every day. He said with heart problems on the rise, the city was in dire need of a super speciality hospital where various heart diseases could be treated under one roof.

Nitu Mandke shot to fame after performing a bypass on Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray in January '96, soon after which he went public with his desire to start a super-speciality heart hospital. At the press conference, however, Dr Mandke denied that Thackeray had played any role ingetting the land lease sanctioned. He claimed his proposal was pending since 1987 with the government.

The hospital, which is being built on a three-acre plot leased out for 30 years, will have guest rooms to accommodate patients' relatives, a basement parking for nearly 300 cars, a yoga kendra, temple and even a meditation room. Likely to cost Rs 150 crore, the hospital will also boast of the most modern telecommunication facilities and also a well-equipped international auditorium.

It will have space for poor and needy too. Fifteen per cent of the hospital beds will be absolutely free, while another 15 per cent will be given out at charitable rates. The hospital is likely to be completed and fully operational by the year 2001.