Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 27 (IANS): Apollo Hospitals has joined hands with Kerala's Adlux Group to develop a 250-bedded super-speciality hospital in the suburb of Kochi.

Located in Angamaly, close to the Kochi International Airport, the new Apollo Adlux Hospital is scheduled to begin operations in four to six months, the healthcare company said in a statement on Tuesday.

Apollo Hospitals would be responsible for all operations and management of the hospital, it added.

"We are happy to enter into God's own Country, Kerala with this world-class super-speciality hospital in partnership with the Adlux Group," said Prathap C. Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group.

"This is indeed a special moment for us and I am confident that Apollo Hospitals will be able to utilise its experience of 35 years to serve the people of Kerala through proven global practices augmented by cutting edge innovation in healthcare," he added.

Reddy also announced its support to rebuild the infrastructure of primary healthcare centres (PHCs) damaged as a result of the recent floods in Kerala, in collaboration with the Kerala government.

"It is our responsibility as healthcare custodians to contribute to the well-being of the people who have faced nature's fury this year. This PHC is a small gesture of our support to aid them in their recovery from the natural disaster," he noted.

Welcoming the move, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the state is known for high quality of life and has topped the health index as a result of better health infrastructure and services.

But "these advantages are now being challenged by new lifestyle diseases," he said, adding that the threat has to be addressed through joint efforts of all the stakeholders.