Mamootty turns to healthcare

The actor has now turned his interest from films to building birthing centres in the country

The actor has now turned his interest from films to building birthing centres in the country

First films, and now babies. Malayam Actor Mammootty has now entered the healthcare fray. With his daughter Surumy at the helm, the actor has launched a state-of-the-art birthing facility in city, called Motherhood.


Brainwave: Surumy Mamootty says that the idea first came to her afteru00a0
the birth of her child. Pic/Satish Badiger

Surumy Mammootty (29), a graphic designer by profession, said, "I happen to be a mother of two and my last experience wasn't as comfortable as the first. I wasn't given enough painkillers and it was very stressful. That's where the idea first came about."

"Our biggest concern here is safety and then comfort. We wanted our patients to feel at home and be comfortable with the doctor treating them. I'd be happy if they were sad to leave," she added. However, obstetricians in the city say that such centres do not contribute anything more than a regular hospital.

Shobha M Guddi, head, Gynaecology at Philomena Hospital, said, "Birthing centres cater to very few people and care that is expensive. The same quality of care is available at most hospitals and it's also not an answer to safe motherhood." She added, "It may be a wonderful experience to only those who can afford it. It's not strongly recommended though."

Gayathri Kamat, Head of Gynaecology at Fortis, said, "It's the current fad and couples here seem to prefer such centres. But we really need to focus on safety more than anything and more often than not a pregnancy needs more than just one specialist." She added, "Everything needs to be under one roof and since motherhood comes just once or twice it's best to put safety first."

O S Siddappah, Medical Superintendent at Vani Vilas, said, "Bangalore is after all a corporate city now and with that our hospitals have also become corporate." He added, "Only those who can afford such healthcare would even consider going there."