Apollo Hospitals has entered an agreement with Iraq's Ministry of Interior for managing and operating the Internal Security Force Hospital, thereby enhancing India's presence in the global healthcare sector.

The decade-long partnership will involve Apollo overseeing the management of the Baghdad-based facility.

This initiative aims to deliver medical care to Iraqi security forces and their families, while also providing training for local doctors.

Apollo Hospitals founder-chairman Dr Prathap Reddy was quoted by The Times of India as saying: “We have already commissioned our medical staff and will now fully operate the hospital. Initially, a team of five doctors will travel to Baghdad to perform major surgeries. Gradually, we will increase the team size.”

Reddy added that more than 20,000 international patients are treated every month.

Apollo Hospitals joint managing director Dr Sangita Reddy posted on X: “This is the first partnership of its kind for both Iraq and Apollo — a powerful step toward our vision of delivering world-class healthcare across borders.

“It’s not just about healthcare operations — it’s about building trust, empowering communities, and making quality care accessible, no matter where you are.”

A spokesperson for Iraq's Ministry of Interior, Brigadier General Muqdad Miri Hasan, said that doctors, nurses, and other staff will be deployed to Iraq from India by December.

Earlier this month, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise announced its plans to acquire the International Finance Corporation’s 31% equity stake in its retail healthcare subsidiary, Apollo Health and Lifestyle.

This move involves a Rs12.54bn ($142m) transaction, making Apollo Health and Lifestyle a wholly owned subsidiary of the company.