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ceremony was held Saturday for construction to begin on the new Mayapada Hospital on Jl T.B. Simatupang, in South Jakarta.

Jakarta currently has 145 public and private hospitals and clinics, 29 of which are in South Jakarta.

"We believe that South Jakarta does not have enough hospitals," Mayapada Group executive chairman Dr. Tahir said after the ceremony.

In commercial terms, he said, West Jakarta was a promising area, where the group's Mayapada Hospital in Tangerang, Banten, has been under construction since 2008.

The hospital, whose construction is expected to be completed next year, will have a 300-bed capacity.

According to Tahir, Mayapada Group invested almost Rp 600 billion (US$64 million) in the hospital.

"The hospital will have various centers of excellence, including a neuroscience center, gastrointestinal center, oncology center, cardiovascular center, urology center and aesthetic center," he said.

Tahir said the hospital would also provide services for patients who were economically disadvantaged.

"We have allocated Rp 5 billion for social health services," he said.

Half of the amount will be allocated for treatment of cancer patients and patients with heart disease, he said, adding that "each patient will receive a subsidy of Rp 25 million".

"We want to provide better treatment, services and better equipment for our patients," he said.

"That is all we can do to support those who are economically disadvantaged."

The group plans to develop two more hospitals, in Sentul, Bogor, and Bali, by the end of this year.