FISH FARMING

Fish farming is the principal form of aquaculture, while other methods may fall under
mariculture. Fish farming involves raising fish commercially in tanks or enclosures, usually
for food. A facility that releases juvenile fish into the wild for recreational fishing or to
supplement a species' natural numbers is generally referred to as a fish hatchery. Worldwide,
the most important fish species used in fish farming are carp, salmon, tilapia and catfish.[1]

There is an increasing demand for fish and fish protein, which has resulted in widespread
overfishing in wild fisheries. Fish farming offers fish marketers another source. However,
farming carnivorous fish, such as salmon, does not always reduce pressure on wild fisheries,
since carnivorous farmed fish are usually fed fishmeal and fish oil extracted from wild forage
fish. The global returns for fish farming recorded by the FAO in 2008 totalled 33.8 million
tonnes worth about $US 60 billion.

Major categories of fish aquaculture

There are two kinds of aquaculture: extensive aquaculture based on local photosynthetical
production and intensive aquaculture, in which the fish are fed with external food supply.

Extensive aquaculture

Limiting for growth here is the available food supply by natural sources, commonly
zooplankton feeding on pelagic algae or benthic animals, such as crustaceans and mollusks.
Tilapia species filter feed directly on phytoplankton, which makes higher production
possible. The photosynthetic production can be increased by fertilizing the pond water with
artificial fertilizer mixtures, such as potash, phosphorus, nitrogen and micro-elements.
Because most fish are carnivorous, they occupy a higher place in the trophic chain and
therefore only a tiny fraction of primary photosynthetic production (typically 1%) will be
converted into harvest-able fish.

Another issue is the risk of algal blooms. When temperatures, nutrient supply and available
sunlight are optimal for algal growth, algae multiply their biomass at an exponential rate,
eventually leading to an exhaustion of available nutrients and a subsequent die-off. The
decaying algal biomass will deplete the oxygen in the pond water because it blocks out the
sun and pollutes it with organic and inorganic solutes (such as ammonium ions), which can
(and frequently do) lead to massive loss of fish.

An alternate option is to use a wetland system such as that of Veta La Palma.

In order to tap all available food sources in the pond, the aquaculturist will choose fish
species which occupy different places in the pond ecosystem, e.g., a filter algae feeder such
as tilapia, a benthic feeder such as carp or catfish and a zooplankton feeder (various carps) or
submerged weeds feeder such as grass carp.

Despite these limitations significant fish farming industries use these methods. In the Czech
Republic thousands of natural and semi-natural ponds are harvested each year for trout and
carp. The large ponds around Trebon were built from around 1650 and are still in use.

In these kinds of systems fish production per unit of surface can be increased at will, as long
as sufficient oxygen, fresh water and food are provided. Because of the requirement of
sufficient fresh water, a massive water purification system must be integrated in the fish farm.
A clever way to achieve this is the combination of hydroponic horticulture and water
treatment, see below. The exception to this rule are cages which are placed in a river or sea,
which supplements the fish crop with sufficient oxygenated water. Some environmentalists
object to this practice.

The cost of inputs per unit of fish weight is higher than in extensive farming, especially
because of the high cost of fish feed, which must contain a much higher level of protein (up
to 60%) than cattle food and a balanced amino acid composition as well. However, these
higher protein level requirements are a consequence of the higher food conversion efficiency
(FCR—kg of feed per kg of animal produced) of aquatic animals. Fish like salmon have
FCR's in the range of 1.1 kg of feed per kg of salmon[citation needed] whereas chickens are in the
2.5 kg of feed per kg of chicken range. Fish don't have to stand up or keep warm and this
eliminates a lot of carbohydrates and fats in the diet, required to provide this energy. This
frequently is offset by the lower land costs and the higher productions which can be obtained
due to the high level of input control.
Essential here is aeration of the water, as fish need a sufficient oxygen level for growth. This
is achieved by bubbling, cascade flow or aqueous oxygen. Catfish, Clarias spp. can breathe
atmospheric air and can tolerate much higher levels of pollutants than trout or salmon, which
makes aeration and water purification less necessary and makes Clarias species especially
suited for intensive fish production. In some Clarias farms about 10% of the water volume
can consist of fish biomass.

The risk of infections by parasites like fish lice, fungi (Saprolegnia spp.), intestinal worms
(such as nematodes or trematodes), bacteria (e.g., Yersinia spp., Pseudomonas spp.), and
protozoa (such as Dinoflagellates) is similar to animal husbandry, especially at high
population densities. However, animal husbandry is a larger and more technologically mature
area of human agriculture and better solutions to pathogen problem exist. Intensive
aquaculture does have to provide adequate water quality (oxygen, ammonia, nitrite, etc.)
levels to minimize stress, which makes the pathogen problem more difficult. This means,
intensive aquaculture requires tight monitoring and a high level of expertise of the fish
farmer.

Very high intensity recycle aquaculture systems (RAS), where there is control over all the
production parameters, are being used for high value species. By recycling the water, very
little water is used per unit of production. However, the process does have high capital and
operating costs. The higher cost structures mean that RAS is only economical for high value
products like broodstock for egg production, fingerlings for net pen aquaculture operations,
sturgeon production, research animals and some special niche markets like live fish.[5][6]

Raising ornamental cold water fish (goldfish or koi), although theoretically much more
profitable due to the higher income per weight of fish produced, has never been successfully
carried out until very recently. The increased incidences of dangerous viral diseases of koi
Carp, together with the high value of the fish has led to initiatives in closed system koi
breeding and growing in a number of countries. Today there are a few commercially
successful intensive koi growing facilities in the UK, Germany and Israel.

Some producers have adapted their intensive systems in an effort to provide consumers with
fish that do not carry dormant forms of viruses and diseases.

Specific types of fish farms

Within intensive and extensive aquaculture methods, there are numerous specific types of
fish farms; each has benefits and applications unique to its design.

Cage system
Fish cages are placed in lakes, bayous, ponds, rivers or oceans to contain and protect fish
until they can be harvested. The method is also called "off-shore cultivation[7] " when the
cages are placed in the sea. They can be constructed of a wide variety of components. Fish
are stocked in cages, artificially fed, and harvested when they reach market size. A few
advantages of fish farming with cages are that many types of waters can be used (rivers,
lakes, filled quarries, etc.), many types of fish can be raised, and fish farming can co-exist
with sport fishing and other water uses. Cage farming of fishes in open seas is also gaining
popularity. Concerns of disease, poaching, poor water quality, etc., lead some to believe that
in general, pond systems are easier to manage and simpler to start. Also, past occurrences of
cage-failures leading to escapes, have raised concern regarding the culture of non-native fish
species in open-water cages. Even though the cage-industry has made numerous
technological advances in cage construction in recent years, the concern for escapes remains
valid.

Main article: Copper alloys in aquaculture

Recently, copper alloys have become important netting materials in aquaculture. Copper
alloys are antimicrobial, that is, they destroy bacteria, viruses, fungi, algae, and other
microbes. In the marine environment, the antimicrobial/algaecidal properties of copper alloys
prevent biofouling, which can briefly be described as the undesirable accumulation, adhesion,
and growth of microorganisms, plants, algae, tube worms, barnacles, mollusks, and other
organisms.

The resistance of organism growth on copper alloy nets also provides a cleaner and healthier
environment for farmed fish to grow and thrive. In addition to its antifouling benefits, copper
netting has strong structural and corrosion-resistant properties in marine environments.

Copper-zinc brass alloys are currently (2011) being deployed in commercial-scale

aquaculture operations in Asia, South America and the USA (Hawaii). Extensive research,
including demonstrations and trials, are currently being implemented on two other copper
alloys: copper-nickel and copper-silicon. Each of these alloy types has an inherent ability to
reduce biofouling, cage waste, disease, and the need for antibiotics while simultaneously
maintaining water circulation and oxygen requirements. Other types of copper alloys are also
being considered for research and development in aquaculture operations.

Irrigation ditch or pond systems

These use irrigation ditches or farm ponds to raise fish. The basic requirement is to have a
ditch or pond that retains water, possibly with an above-ground irrigation system (many
irrigation systems use buried pipes with headers.) Using this method, one can store one's
water allotment in ponds or ditches, usually lined with bentonite clay. In small systems the
fish are often fed commercial fish food, and their waste products can help fertilize the fields.
In larger ponds, the pond grows water plants and algae as fish food. Some of the most
successful ponds grow introduced strains of plants, as well as introduced strains of fish.

Control of water quality is crucial. Fertilizing, clarifying and pH control of the water can
increase yields substantially, as long as eutrophication is prevented and oxygen levels stay
high.Yields can be low if the fish grow ill from electrolyte stress.
Composite fish culture

The Composite fish culture system is a technology developed in India by the Indian Council
of Agricultural Research in the 1970s. In this system both local and imported fish species, a
combination of five or six fish species is used in a single fish pond. These species are selected
so that they do not compete for food among them having different types of food habitats.[8][9]
As a result the food available in all the parts of the pond is used. Fish used in this system
include catla and silver carp which are surface feeders, rohu a column feeder and mrigal and
common carp which are bottom feeders. Other fish will also feed on the excreta of the
common carp and this helps contribute to the efficiency of the system which in optimal
conditions will produce 3000–6000 kg of fish per hectare per year.

Integrated recycling systems

One of the largest problems with freshwater pisciculture is that it can use a million gallons of
water per acre (about 1 m³ of water per m²) each year. Extended water purification systems
allow for the reuse (recycling) of local water.

The largest-scale pure fish farms use a system derived (admittedly much refined) from the
New Alchemy Institute in the 1970s. Basically, large plastic fish tanks are placed in a
greenhouse. A hydroponic bed is placed near, above or between them. When tilapia are raised
in the tanks, they are able to eat algae, which naturally grows in the tanks when the tanks are
properly fertilized.

The tank water is slowly circulated to the hydroponic beds where the tilapia waste feeds
commercial plant crops. Carefully cultured microorganisms in the hydroponic bed convert
ammonia to nitrates, and the plants are fertilized by the nitrates and phosphates. Other wastes
are strained out by the hydroponic media, which doubles as an aerated pebble-bed filter.

This system, properly tuned, produces more edible protein per unit area than any other. A
wide variety of plants can grow well in the hydroponic beds. Most growers concentrate on
herbs (e.g. parsley and basil), which command premium prices in small quantities all year
long. The most common customers are restaurant wholesalers.

Since the system lives in a greenhouse, it adapts to almost all temperate climates, and may
also adapt to tropical climates. The main environmental impact is discharge of water that
must be salted to maintain the fishes' electrolyte balance. Current growers use a variety of
proprietary tricks to keep fish healthy, reducing their expenses for salt and waste water
discharge permits. Some veterinary authorities speculate that ultraviolet ozone disinfectant
systems (widely used for ornamental fish) may play a prominent part in keeping the Tilapia
healthy with recirculated water.

A number of large, well-capitalized ventures in this area have failed. Managing both the
biology and markets is complicated. One future development is the combination of Integrated
Recycling systems with Urban Farming as tried in Sweden by the Greenfish initiative.[10]

Reference: Freshwater Aquaculture: A Handbook for Small Scale Fish Culture in North
America, by William McLarney
Classic fry farming

This is also called a "Flow through system" [11] Trout and other sport fish are often raised
from eggs to fry or fingerlings and then trucked to streams and released. Normally, the fry are
raised in long, shallow concrete tanks, fed with fresh stream water. The fry receive
commercial fish food in pellets. While not as efficient as the New Alchemists' method, it is
also far simpler, and has been used for many years to stock streams with sport fish. European
eel (Anguilla anguilla) aquaculturalists procure a limited supply of glass eels, juvenile stages
of the European eel which swim north from the Sargasso Sea breeding grounds, for their
farms. The European eel is threatened with extinction because of the excessive catch of glass
eels by Spanish fishermen and overfishing of adult eels in, e.g., the Dutch IJsselmeer,
Netherlands. As per 2005, no one has managed to breed the European eel in captivity.

Indoor fish farming

An alternative to outdoor open ocean cage aquaculture, is through the use of a recirculation
aquaculture system (RAS). A RAS is a series of culture tanks and filters where water is
continuously recycled and monitored to keep optimal conditions year round. To prevent the
deterioration of water quality, the water is treated mechanically through the removal of
particulate matter and biologically through the conversion of harmful accumulated chemicals
into nontoxic ones.

Other treatments such as UV sterilization, ozonation, and oxygen injection are also used to
maintain optimal water quality. Through this system, many of the environmental drawbacks
of aquaculture are minimized including escaped fish, water usage, and the introduction of
pollutants. The practices also increased feed-use efficiency growth by providing optimum
water quality (Timmons et al., 2002; Piedrahita, 2003).

One of the drawbacks to recirculation aquaculture systems is water exchange. However, the
rate of water exchange can be reduced through aquaponics, such as the incorporation of
hydroponically grown plants (Corpron and Armstrong, 1983) and denitrification (Klas et al.,
2006). Both methods reduce the amount of nitrate in the water, and can potentially eliminate
the need for water exchanges, closing the aquaculture system from the environment. The
amount of interaction between the aquaculture system and the environment can be measured
through the cumulative feed burden (CFB kg/M3), which measures the amount of feed that
goes into the RAS relative to the amount of water and waste discharged.

From 2011, a team from the University of Waterloo led by Tahbit Chowdhury and Gordon
Graff examined vertical RAS aquaculture designs aimed at producing protein-rich fish
species.[38][39] However, because of its high capital and operating costs, RAS has generally
been restricted to practices such as broodstock maturation, larval rearing, fingerling
production, research animal production, SPF (specific pathogen free) animal production, and
caviar and ornamental fish production. As such, research and design work by Chowdhury and
Graff remains difficult to implement. Although the use of RAS for other species is considered
by many aquaculturalists to be currently impractical, there has been some limited successful
implementation of this with high value product such as barramundi, sturgeon and live tilapia
in the US[40] eels and catfish in the Netherlands, trout in Denmark[41] and salmon is planned in
Scotland[42] and Canada
 RAINWATER HARVESTING

Rainwater harvesting is the accumulation and deposition of rainwater for reuse before it
reaches the aquifer. Uses include water for garden, water for livestock, water for irrigation,
etc. In many places the water collected is just redirected to a deep pit with percolation. The
harvested water can be used as drinking water as well as for storage and other purpose like
irrigation.

Advantages
Rainwater harvesting provides an independent water supply during regional water restrictions
and in developed countries is often used to supplement the main supply. It provides water
when there is a drought, prevents flooding of low-lying areas, replenishes the ground water
table, and enables dug wells and bore wells to yield in a sustained manner. It also helps in the
availability of clean water by reducing the salinity and the presence of iron salts.

• Makes use of a natural resource and reduces flooding, storm water runoff, erosion, and
contamination of surface water with pesticides, sediment, metals, and fertilizers.

• Excellent source of water for landscape irrigation, with no chemicals such as fluoride and
chlorine, and no dissolved salts and minerals from the soil.

• Home systems can be relatively simple to install and operate and it may reduce your water
bill.

• Promotes both water and energy conservation.

• No filtration system required for landscape irrigation.

Quality
The concentration of contaminants is reduced significantly by diverting the initial flow of
runoff water to waste.[1] Improved water quality can also be obtained by using a floating
draw-off mechanism (rather than from the base of the tank) and by using a series of tanks,
with draw from the last in series. The stored rainwater may need to be analyzed properly
before use in a way appropriate to its safety.

The quality of collected rainwater is generally better than that of surface water.
Contamination is always possible by airborne dust and mists, bird feces, and other debris, so
some treatment is necessary, depending on how the water will be used.

System setup
Rainwater harvesting systems can be installed with minimal skills. The system should be
sized to meet the water demand throughout the dry season since it must be big enough to
support daily water consumption. Specifically, the rainfall capturing area such as a building
roof must be large enough to maintain adequate flow. Likewise, the water storage tank should
be large enough to contain the captured water.

Vendors
There are three main types of companies operating in the rainwater harvesting industry:
makers of water storage, makers of accessories, and integrators. Water storage companies
make tanks, barrels, and underground cisterns. Accessories are added to facilitate or improve
the water capturing process. Integrators are regional practitioners which install systems.

Rain water harvesting by freshwater flooded forests

Rain water harvesting is possible by growing fresh water flooded forests without losing the
income from the used /submerged land. The main purpose of the rain water harvesting is to
utilize the locally available rain water to meet water requirements throughout the year
without the need of huge capital expenditure. This would facilitate availability of
uncontaminated water for domestic, industrial and irrigation needs.

New approaches
Instead of using the roof for catchment, the RainSaucer, which looks like an upside down
umbrella, collects rain straight from the sky. This decreases the potential for contamination
and makes potable water for developing countries a potential application. Other applications
of this free standing rainwater collection approach are sustainable gardening and small plot
farming.

A Dutch invention called the Groasis Waterboxx is also useful for growing trees with
harvested and stored dew and rainwater.

History
Earlier

Around the third century BC, the farming communities in Baluchistan (in present-day
Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran), and Kutch (in present-day India) used rainwater harvesting
for irrigation.[6]

In ancient Tamil Nadu (India), rainwater harvesting was done by Chola kings.[7] Rainwater
from the Brihadeeswarar temple was collected in Sivaganga tank.[8] During the later Chola
period, the Vīrānam tank was built (1011 to 1037 CE) in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu to
store water for drinking and irrigation purposes. Vīrānam is a 16-kilometre (9.9 mi) long tank
with a storage capacity of 1,465,000,000 cubic feet (41,500,000 m3).

Rainwater harvesting was done in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and
Chhattisgarh in the olden days[when?]. Ratanpur, in the state of Chhattisgarh, had around 150
ponds. Most of the tanks or ponds were utilised in agriculture works.[citation needed]

Present day

 Currently in China and Brazil rooftop rainwater harvesting is being practiced for
providing drinking water, domestic water, water for livestock, water for small
irrigation and a way to replenish ground water levels. Gansu province in China and
semi-arid north east Brazil have the largest rooftop rainwater harvesting projects
ongoing.
 In Bermuda, the law requires all new construction to include rainwater harvesting
adequate for the residents.
  The U.S. Virgin Islands have a similar law.
 In Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, the houses of the Diola-people are frequently equipped
with homebrew rainwater harvesters made from local, organic materials.
 In the Irrawaddy Delta of Myanmar, the groundwater is saline and communities rely
on mud-lined rainwater ponds to meet their drinking water needs throughout the dry
season. Some of these ponds are centuries old and are treated with great reverence and
respect.
 In the United States: until 2009 in Colorado, water rights laws almost completely
restricted rainwater harvesting; a property owner who captured rainwater was deemed
to be stealing it from those who have rights to take water from the watershed. Now,
residential well owners that meet certain criteria may obtain a permit to install a
rooftop precipitation collection system (SB 09-080).[9] Up to 10 large scale pilot
studies may also be permitted (HB 09-1129).[10] The main factor in persuading the
Colorado Legislature to change the law was a 2007 study that found that in an average
year, 97% of the precipitation that fell in Douglas County, in the southern suburbs of
Denver, never reached a stream—it was used by plants or evaporated on the ground.
In Colorado you cannot even drill a water well unless you have at least 35 acres. In
New Mexico, rainwater catchment is mandatory for new dwellings in Santa Fe.[11]
Texas offers a sales tax exemption on the purchase of rainwater harvesting equipment.
Both Texas[12] and Ohio allow the practice even for potable purposes. Oklahoma
passed the Water for 2060 Act in 2012, to promote pilot projects for rainwater and
graywater use among other water saving techniques.[13]
 In Beijing, some housing societies are now adding rain water in their main water
sources after proper treatment.
 In Ireland, Professor Micheal Mcginley established a project to design a rain water
harvesting prototype in the Biosystems design Challenge Module at University
College Dublin.
 In Australia rainwater harvesting is typically used as a supplement to the reticulated
mains supply, and it is mandated in many building codes. In South East Queensland,
households that harvested rainwater doubled each year from 2005 to 2008, reaching
40% penetration at that time.[2]

India

 In the state of Tamil Nadu, rainwater harvesting was made compulsory for every
building to avoid ground water depletion. It proved excellent results within five years,
and every other state took it as role model. Since its implementation, Chennai saw a
50 percent rise in water level in five years and the water quality significantly
improved.[14][15]
 In Rajasthan, rainwater harvesting has traditionally been practiced by the people of
the Thar Desert. There are many ancient water harvesting systems in Rajasthan, which
have now been revived [16]
 Kerala:

Main article: Rainwater harvesting in Kerala

 At present, in Pune (in Maharashtra), rainwater harvesting is compulsory for any new
society to be registered.
  An attempt has been made at Dept. of Chemical Engineering, IISc, Bangalore [1] to
harvest rainwater using upper surface of a solar still, which was used for water
distillation[17]

COMPONENTS OF A RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEM

A rainwater harvesting system comprises components of various stages - transporting

rainwater through pipes or drains, filtration, and storage in tanks for reuse or recharge. The
common components of a rainwater harvesting system involved in these stages are illustrated
here.

1. Catchments: The catchment of a water harvesting system is the surface which directly
receives the rainfall and provides water to the system. It can be a paved area like a terrace or
courtyard of a building, or an unpaved area like a lawn or open ground. A roof made of
reinforced cement concrete (RCC), galvanised iron or corrugated sheets can also be used for
water harvesting.

2. Coarse mesh at the roof to prevent the passage of Source: A water harvesting manual for
debris urban areas

3. Gutters:
Channels all around the edge of a sloping roof to collect and transport rainwater to the storage
tank. Gutters can be semi-circular or rectangular and could be made using:

 Locally available material such as plain galvanised iron sheet (20 to 22 gauge), folded
to required shapes.
 Semi-circular gutters of PVC material can be readily prepared by cutting those pipes
into two equal semi-circular channels.
 Bamboo or betel trunks cut vertically in half.
The size of the gutter should be according to the flow during the highest intensity rain. It is
advisable to make them 10 to 15 per cent oversize.

Gutters need to be supported so they do not sag or fall off when loaded with water. The way
in which gutters are fixed depends on the construction of the house; it is possible to fix iron
or timber brackets into the walls, but for houses having wider eaves, some method of
attachment to the rafters is necessary.

4. Conduits
Conduits are pipelines or drains that carry rainwater from the catchment or rooftop area to the
harvesting system. Conduits can be of any material like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or
galvanized iron (GI), materials that are commonly available.
 APOLLO HOSPITALS

It is often said that nothing happens, unless there is a dream first. At the genesis of the Apollo
story there was a dream. A dream so powerful, that it helped transform the medical landscape
in India.

Company Vision

Apollo's vision for the next phase of development is to 'Touch a Billion Lives'.

Mission Statement

"Our mission is to bring healthcare of International standards within the reach of every
individual. We are committed to the achievement and maintenance of excellence in
education, research and healthcare for the benefit of humanity"

The dream nurtured and grew within Dr. Prathap C Reddy, the founder Chairman of Apollo
Hospitals, until the point of inflection happened in 1983. A young man succumbing to an
ailing heart was what it took to ignite Dr. Reddy's vision into a reality - a vision where quality
healthcare was given, where the pursuit of clinical excellence was daily endeavor, India a hub
in the medical tourism map and where the Apollo family touches and enriches lives every
minute, every day.

Today, with over 8500 beds across 51 hospitals, and a significant presence at every touch-
point of the medical value chain, Apollo Hospitals is one of Asia’s largest healthcare groups.
Commenced as a 150 bed hospital, today the group has grown exponentially both in India and
overseas. Its growth is often said to be synonymous with India emerging as a major hub in
global healthcare.

Apollo Hospitals is driven by a single thrust, to provide the best standards of patient care. It is
this passion that has lead to the development of unique centers of excellence across medical
disciplines, within the Apollo Hospitals network. Apollo Hospitals has JCI accreditations for
8 of its hospitals, the largest by any hospital group in the region.
True to its founding principles, the group has made quality healthcare accessible to the people
of India, and even overseas. It has become an institution of trust, and a beacon of hope to so
many searching for a cure for their ailments.

The legacy of touching and enriching lives stems from the pillars of the Apollo philosophy -
experience, excellence, expertise and research. We pride ourselves for constantly being on
the cutting edge, and going the extra mile to stay relevant and revolutionary.

The Apollo Hospitals Group is the pioneer of integrated healthcare delivery in India. This
vision led the group to earmark time and resources to strengthen each vital cog in the process
of healthcare delivery. As a result of these efforts, the group today is in a unique position to
exponentially increase its healthcare cover. This will be critical in order to meet future
requirements.

Apollo Hospitals Group, today, is an integrated healthcare organization with owned and
managed hospitals, diagnostic clinics, dispensing pharmacies and consultancy services. In
addition, the group’s service offerings include healthcare at the patient’s doorstep, clinical &
diagnostic services, medical business process outsourcing, third party administration services
and health insurance. To enhance performance and service to customers, the company also
makes available the services to support business, telemedicine services, education, training
programs & research services and a host of other non-profit projects.

Evolving healthcare through cutting edge research!

The Apollo Hospitals Educational and Research Foundation is an independent entity

recognized by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) as a "Scientific
and Industrial Research Organization (SIRO)", to carry out research, educational and training
programmes in quest of quality health care.

AHERF aims to undertake and promote scientific and medical research programs that have a
bearing on the health, social, economic and industrial needs of India. AHERF leverages the
strength of the Apollo Group of Hospitals, which lies in its competent clinicians and clinical
researchers, a large number and variety of patients, state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic
technologies and an excellent medical records system.

Research of the highest quality can only be carried out by trained investigators. The
institution’s vision is also to create educational programs in basic and specialized areas, in
areas where qualified human resources are much needed for the Apollo Hospitals Group as
well as the nation.

The Roadmap for Research

The research Task Force has evolved a futuristic roadmap for AHERF and has identified
various areas for cutting edge research. These are as follows

 Basic and clinical aspects of stem cells

 Molecular diagnostics
 Development of new devices and drugs
 Personalized drug usage through pharmaco-genomics
 Areas in clinical research which are of national importance
 Health Economics
 Ethical and rational trial of new therapies and devices
 Integration of traditional medicine into modern health care delivery
 Establishment of reference intervals for laboratory values in Indian population
 Epidemiological studies on incidence and prevalence of various diseases.
 Delivery of health through telemedicine
 Generation of human resource for effective delivery of health care

Joint Commission International Accreditation

The Joint Commission International (JCI) is a U.S based accreditation body dedicated to
improving healthcare quality and safety around the world. The accreditation is an
international gold standard for hospitals.
The Apollo hospitals group achieved the unique distinction of achieving accreditation for its
hospitals at Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ludhiana, Bangalore, Kolkata and Dhaka.
Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi, became the first hospital in India, while Apollo
Hospitals, Chennai, became the first hospital in South India to achieve this unique and
coveted accreditation.

JCI works directly with healthcare organisations to achieve their goals of providing quality
clinical care and services in safe, efficient and well-managed facilities.

JCI assesses through a rigorous on site survey process, a healthcare provider’s quality in the
following key areas -

 Access to health care

 Health Assessment and care processes
 Education and rights of individuals
 Management of information and human resources
 Safety of facility
 Infection control
 Collaborative integrated management
 Facility management
 Performance Measurement
 Education & Rights of Patients

NABH accreditation

National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) is a constituent
board of Quality Council of India, set up to establish and operate accreditation programmes
for healthcare organizations. The board is structured to cater to much desired needs of the
consumers and to set benchmarks for progress of health industry.Apollo Hospitals, Bilaspur
has received the NABH accreditation making it India's First Rural Hospital to achieve this
honour and a leader in modern healthcare. Apollo Speciality Hospitals, Madurai and Apollo
Speciality Hospitals, Chennai are also accredited by the NABH.

NABL Accreditation

Apollo Hospitals, Chennai WAS assessed & accredited in accordance with the Standard ISO
15189 : 2003 "Medical Laboratories - particular requirements for Quality & Competence" for
its facilities in the field of Medical Testing.

ISO 9002

The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) is a network of the national

standards institutes of 151 countries, on the basis of one member per country. A Central
Secretariat based out of Geneva, Switzerland, co-ordinates the system.

Apollo Hospitals, Chennai was the first hospital in India to be awarded an ISO 9002
certification.
The ISO 9000 series is concerned with 'quality management'. It is a certification affirming the
organization's ability to enhance customer satisfaction by meeting customer and applicable
regulatory requirements and continually to improve its performance in this regard.

The ISO standards are a guarantee of quality across boundaries and geographies. They are an
assurance to the international patient of the safety and reliability of Apollo's services against
global benchmarks.

Superbrand

The Indian Consumer Superbrands Council includes some of the most eminent marketing,
media and advertising professionals. As the council members agree, "Obtaining Superbrands'
status puts the brand in the circle of an elite group that is seen to represent the best practices
in brand management. Ultimately it can be likened to a brand oscar. Apollo Hospitals entered
the 'Superbrand' category in 2004.
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Hospitals
Rain Water
Harvesting
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