Apollo Hospitals, Greams Road

History and background

Apollo Hospitals, Greams Road, was started in 1983 by Dr. Prathap C. Reddy as the first professionally run 150-bed private hospital in India, and as the country's first corporate hospital it played an important role in transforming private healthcare. Dr. Reddy was conferred the Padma Vibhushan and received lifetime achievement awards from three media houses. Today the hospital has 550 beds, is accredited by JCI and NABH and is widely considered one of the best hospitals in India for international patients.

Specialities and centres of excellence

The hospital has more than 12 centres of excellence, including the Apollo Heart Institute, the Institute of Liver Sciences, the Institute of Neurosciences, the Institute of Colorectal Surgery and the Institute of Robotic Surgery. Its transplant programme covers liver, kidney, heart and lung, with milestones such as the first successful pancreas transplant in India and Asia's first en-bloc combined heart and liver transplant. It was the first in India to introduce coronary angioplasty, stereotactic radiotherapy and radiosurgery for brain tumours.

Technology and facilities

Technology includes the da Vinci robotic surgical system, ExcelsiusGPS for spine surgery, TrueBeam STx for radiation therapy, the first CyberKnife in India and the use of 64-slice PET-CT in Southeast Asia. The proton therapy centre is described as India's first and South Asia's most advanced.

International patients

Apollo Chennai has been recognised as Most Promising Company for International Medical Services (MT India Healthcare Awards, 2023). It is on Greams Lane off Greams Road in central Chennai, close to hotels.

How AlisPro MediTours supports your treatment

AlisPro MediTours is a medical travel coordination service, not a hospital. We do not provide medical treatment, and clinical decisions always rest with your treating doctors. What we do is make the journey to this hospital easier to plan and less stressful to manage.

After you send your medical reports through our enquiry form, our coordinators share them with the hospital's international patient team and help you obtain a written opinion and an estimated cost. If you decide to go ahead, we can help with the medical visa invitation letter, flight planning, airport pickup, accommodation near the hospital, local transport, interpreter support and appointment scheduling. During your stay we stay in touch with you and your family, and after you return home we help arrange follow-up consultations and access to your records.

Costs, package inclusions and waiting times vary by hospital, doctor and treatment, so we recommend asking for a written estimate that clearly states what is and is not included.

Before you travel

Preparation makes a big difference to how smoothly a medical trip goes. Gather your recent medical reports, imaging (with the discs or digital files), a list of current medicines and any previous operation summaries, and share them early so the hospital can give a realistic opinion before you travel.

Ask the hospital or your coordinator for the expected length of stay, the likely total cost and what it includes, whether a family member may accompany you, and what follow-up will be needed after you return home. Confirm the treating doctor's name, the accreditation of the department you will use and how emergencies are handled.

Most international patients enter India on a medical visa, which normally requires an invitation letter from the hospital. Check the validity of your passport, arrange travel insurance that covers medical travel where possible, and plan for extra days in case treatment or recovery takes longer than expected. Keep copies of all documents on your phone and in your luggage.

Travel guide: Chennai

Chennai is served by Chennai International Airport, and most hospitals are 30 to 60 minutes away by road depending on traffic. The city has a Metro, suburban trains, taxis and ride-hailing apps, and a wide choice of hotels and serviced apartments, with Adyar, Alwarpet and the IT corridor popular for medical visitors. The weather is hot and humid for much of the year, with the north-east monsoon from October to December, and the most comfortable months run from December to February. Tamil and English are widely spoken, and many hospital staff also speak Hindi.