Medgate Special Issue 2018

www.MedgateToday.com

Price : 200/-

An Advance Media Publication

Advance Media Group A Health Journalism

The Gateway to Health & Medical World

Anupriya Patel

Union Minister of State of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India

Dr. Minnie Bodhanwala

Dr. Manisha Karmarkar

Monika Gupta

Dr. Rita Bakshi

COO, Ruby Hall Clinic Wanowarie, Pune

Director, Star Imaging & Path Lab, New Delhi

Chair Person, International Fertility Centre, New Delhi

Hod, Physiotherapy Dept, Noor Hospital, Mumbai CEO & Owner at ‘Sparsh 4.0’ Healthcare Products.

Dr. Santwana Vernekar

Dr. Vidushi S. Pandey

Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh

Pushpa Vijayaraghavan

Dr. Pallavi Jain Govil

CEO, Wadia Hospital, Mumbai

MAY 2018

Mala Vazirani

Executive Director, Transasia Bio-Medicals Ltd.

Dr. Sadiya Vanjara

Preeti Sudan

Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India

Founder Q-Team

MD (AIIMS, New Delhi), FRCS UK SuVi Eye Institute, KOTA (RAJ.)

WOMeN Prof. (Dr). Neelam Kler

Department of Neonatology Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi

Director, Sathguru Management Consultants, Hydrabad

C. F. S., Directorate of Health Services (M. P.), Bhopal

Dr. Suversha Khanna

Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia Region

President, Dharamshila Foundation & Research Centre, New Delhi

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan

Dr. Shilpa Desai

LEADERS IN HEALTHCARE

Meena Ganesh MD & CEO, Portea Medical

Deputy Director General, WHO (Geneva)

Managing Director, C4 Integrated Wellness Pvt. Ltd. (Mumbai)

EDITOR SPEAK

Magazine

Special Edition May 2018

Editor Feature Editor Editorial Advisor Advertisement Manager Dy. Manager

Sales & Marketing

Sales and Marketing Subscription & Circulation Graphic Designer Layout

2018

Dr. ma Kamal Razi Ahsan, Neeraj Vats GP Capt. (Dr.) Sanjeev Sood Dr. Sharad Lakhotia Dr. Sarika Gupta Deepti Tripathi Faiyaz Ali, Amjad Kamal, SY Ahmed Khan, Ranjit Shirsath Azad Khan Zyaul Haque Ansari All right Reserved by all everts are made to insure that the information published is correct 'Medgate today’ holds no responsibility any unlikely errors that might occur.

Published by

Circulation Office: Advance Media Group Bldg.No-256/6 Office No-02, Near Pocket 10B, Jasola, (Behind Apollo Hospital) New Delhi - 110025 Tel: +91 - 11 - 26946348 M: +91 - 9212366351 Email: info@medgatetoday.com medgatetoday@gmail.com Visit us: www.medgatetoday.com

Mumbai Office

7 - Ground Floor, Aradhna CHS Ltd. Bal Samant Marg, Bandra (W), Mumbai-400 050

Chennai Office

11, Krishnan, Koil Street 3rd Floor Rotary Lane Chennai - 600001

Printed by

Artxel, 76, DSIDC Shed, Okhla Industrial Area Phase - II, New Delhi - 110020

Women leaders in Healthcare Sectors 2018 Medgate Today special issue on Women Leaders in Healthcare!

“Medgate Today” India’s top & world’s foremost healthcare magazine.

While the world is evolving, women are still lagging behind when it comes to leadership roles in business. Today, few women are in Health Minister/Director /WHO/CEO/COO/Health Sectt. roles at Fortune 500 companies, making up 5.2% of the female population, according to a report by Research. The stats stay virtually the same for women CEOs Women executives rarely have an opportunity to come together and share their leadership experiences in a learning environment that has direct relevance and personal impact.

Medgate Today has started campaign to explore the talents of Women Leaders in Healthcare designed to create just this environment. It addresses leadership issues, Challenges and role model to encourage the other women leaders in to healthcare domain.

The special edition of the prestigious publication “Medgate Today” brings to you the in-depth illustrations about the top Women Leaders in Healthcare. Through our constant and consistent pursuance, we have made the best attempt and efforts to enrich this edition with detailed information and insightful analysis of Women across India. The preparation of this informative periodical can be interpreted as sincere hard-work, dedication and determination of the editorial board at Advance Media Group. The special edition of the publication has been produced with sincere analysis and evaluation. In order to maintain interest and impart valuable knowledge amongst our loyal and intellectual readers, we at Advance Media Group strive for accuracy of data, which can be relied upon as the stories are penned after intense research and analysis, which is further backed by expert views and opinions whose expertise matter the most in the industry.

Considering the priority to project the most iconic personalities within the healthcare sector due to their impeccable contributions of work and medical marvels, we have featured the top personalities who strive and inspire the healthcare fraternity for excellence and new discoveries in the field of medical science.

We are extremely grateful to all the respected Women Leaders for their cooperation, support and guidance that have been immensely instrumental in preparation of this esteemed special edition. Every year, Medgate Today enlightens its readers with important insights about the healthcare industry and will continue to do so despite significant challenges, obstacles and hurdles and will also continue to win the trust and faith of our readers over the coming years. Each year we will ensure to paint and portray a broad landscape of the healthcare sector and will struggle to develop an edition, which we believe will be the closest to our heart and soul and also to the hearts of millions of our subscribers across Asia and beyond. To summarize, I wish you happy reading and welcome your comments and views in order to keep up the spirit of learning and delivering content that lives up to the expectations of our beloved readers.

Have an insightful reading.

Your suggestions are most welcome!

E-mail: editor@medgatetoday.com Website: w w w . m e d g a t e t o d a y . c o m

w w w.medegatetoday.com May 2018

1

CO N T E N T S

Women Leaders 04

Anupriya Patel

Union Minister of State of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India

12

06

Dr. Minnie Bodhanwala CEO, Wadia Hospital, Mumbai

14

Khetrapal Singh Dr. Santwana Vernekar Dr. Poonam Regional Director of WHO Founder Q-Team

24

Dr. Sadiya Vanjara

Hod, Physiotherapy Dept, Noor Hospital, Mumbai CEO & Owner at ‘Sparsh 4.0’ Healthcare Products.

South-East Asia Region

26

Prof. (Dr). Neelam Kler

Department of Neonatology Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi

08

Monika Gupta

Director, Star Imaging & Path Lab, New Delhi

18

Dr. Rita Bakshi

Chair Person, International Fertility Centre, New Delhi

28

09

Preeti Sudan

Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India

20

Dr. Manisha Karmarkar COO, Ruby Hall Clinic Wanowarie, Pune

30

Meena Ganesh

Dr. Vidushi S. Pandey

MD & CEO, Portea Medical

MD (AIIMS) Kota

10

Mala Vazirani

Executive Director, Transasia Bio-Medicals Ltd.

23

Pushpa Vijayaraghavan

Director, Sathguru Management Consultants, Hydrabad

33

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan Deputy Director General, WHO (Geneva)

Scan QR Code & Watch E-Magazine

34

Dr. Suversha Khanna

President, Dharamshila Foundation & Research Centre, New Delhi

36

Dr. Shilpa Desai

Managing Director, C4 Integrated Wellness Pvt. Ltd. (Mumbai)

38 Dr. Neelam Mohan

Medanta – The Medicity, New Delhi

39

Dr. Pallavi Jain Govil

Health Commissioner, Directorate of Health Services, (M.P.) Bhopal

COVER STORY

The Most Dynamic Leader & Health Minister- The Way Forward Anupriya Patel

Union Minister of State of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India

Anupriya Patel (born 1981 in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh) is an Indian politician, based in the state of Uttar Pradesh. She is currently the Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

She was elected to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India from the constituency of Mirzapur in the 2014 Indian general election. She was previously elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Rohaniya constituency of the Legislature of Uttar Pradesh in Varanasi, where she had fought a campaign in alliance with the Peace Party of India and Bundelkhand Congress in the Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly election, 2012

Life

Anupriya Patel is the daughter of Mr. Sone Lal Patel, who founded the Apna Dal political party that is based in Uttar Pradesh. She was educated at Lady

World AIDS Day: My Health, My Right

World AIDS Day (WAD) is observed on 1st December every year across the globe. The observance of WAD is the commitment of the Government to strengthen HIV/AIDS response and providing care & treatment to those infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. The day is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for People Living with HIV (PLHIV) and to commemorate people who have died from AIDS related illness. On WAD, awareness activities are conducted at ground root level by the states involving communities, NGOs, youth etc. WAD is important because it reminds the people and governments that HIV has not gone away-there is still a vital need to create awareness, fight prejudice and educate people. Looking back into the history, WAD was the first ever global health day, held for the first time in 1988. Like every year, this year also, National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), organised a mega event in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (JLN) in Delhi. The event was attended by more than 2500 people from civil society organisations, community members, students from schools and colleges, volunteers from NYKS, High Risk Groups (HRGs), PLHIV representatives from NGOs, Development Partners and officials from different government departments.

4

www.m e d e g a t e t o d a y. co m May 2018

Shri Ram College for Women and Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, formerly Kanpur University. She has a master’s degrees in Psychology and also Masters in Business Administration (MBA), and has taught at Amity.

Career

Patel has been president of Apna Dal since the death of her father in October 2009. In 2012, she was elected as the member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, for the Rohaniya constituency in Varanasi.

In the 2014 general election, Patel’s party campaigned in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Narendra Modi. She was elected as Member of Parliament from Mirzapur constituency.

After the election, there were rumors’ that the two parties would merge but Patel rejected overtures intended to result in that.

Smt. Anupriya Patel, Hon’ble MoS, Health & Family Welfare, Government of India was Chief Guest during the event. Ms. Preeti Sudan, Secretary, Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Bilali Camara, Country Coordinator, UNAIDS, Dr. Henk Bakedam, WHO Representative to India, Shri Sanjeeva Kumar, Additional Secretary (Health) & Director General , NACO and Shri Alok Saxena, Joint Secretary, NACO graced the occasion.

In the beginning of the event, an exhibition showcasing the services associated with National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) was inaugurated by Smt. Anupriya Patel. A short film titled “Journey of NACO” on the successful completion of 25 years of NACO was screened.

COVER STORY

Regional Review Meetings of National AIDS Control ProgrammeNorth Eastern & Western Region In the line of reviewing and evaluating progress status of National AIDS Control Programme (NACP), National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) conducted Regional Review Meetings of North-Eastern Region and Western Region in Shillong, Meghalaya and Mumbai respectively.

The aim of these Meetings was to review the progress made by SACS in the last three years, take stock of issues/challenges and provides road map for adopting innovational approaches for improving effectiveness of AIDS Control Programme.

The Review Meeting for the Western Region was ITC Grand Central, Mumbai in partnership with USAID and FHI 360.

Shri Alok Saxena, Joint Secretary, NACO chaired the meeting.

Project Directors from seven SACS / District AIDS Control Society (Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Gujarat, Goa, Maharashtra, Mumbai and Rajasthan), representatives from health department, WHO, USAID, UNAIDS, CDC, FHI 360, community representatives, officials from SACS and NACO attended the meeting.

In the meeting, the Joint Secretary, NACO reviewed progress made on all aspects of the programme. Linkage Project and Cluster districts project were also reviewed. The presence of professional associations like IMA, FOGSI, academic institutions social sciences and medical, etc. were the highlights of the meeting. The Epidemiological Fact-sheet: Volume II on Western States and the Assessment of Blood Banks report were also released during the meeting.

The meeting was chaired by Shri Sanjeeva Kumar, IAS, Additional Secretary & DG, NACO. Shri. P.W. Ingty, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Meghalaya, Shri HM Shangpliang, Secretary & MD (NHM), Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Meghalaya were also present in the meeting. Project Directors (PDs) of all the 8 State AIDS Control Societies (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim & Tripura), representatives from the health departments, Assam Rifles, prison department, CDC, FHI 360, community representatives, officials from SACS and NACO attended the 3-Day meeting. The progress made in each and every component of NACP (TI, Monitoring & Evaluation, DAPCU, STI, Basic Services including Counseling, Testing, HIV-TB, elimination of MTCT of HIV and Syphilis, Operational Research, IEC & Mainstreaming and Lab Services) was meticulously reviewed. Project Sunrise supported by CDC through FHI 360 was also reviewed. The meeting identified key areas wherein actions need to be taken. The Epidemiological Factsheet: Volume I on North Eastern States and the Assessment of Blood Banks report were also released during the meeting.

w w w.medegatetoday.com May 2018

5

COVER STORY

Striving for impact and focused on results The Strength behind success of Dr. Minnie Bodhanwala Shed some light upon your personal journey to the Healthcare Industry since inception.

Every time I think about my journey in Healthcarefor the past 32 years I get a stronger perspective into my existence and feel extremly proud about the same. My journey started with dental practice. For me practice was not just seeing patients but also being a teacher and mentor for so many students.

Time and again I had come across several instances where I would take operational roles along with the routine practice, one such opportunity was when I was associated with Impact India Foundation for their “Hospital-on-Wheels� project to handle functionalities as a Coordinator Surgeon to set up the 1st Dental Unit on the Train, I guess this was the turning point in my life where I realized that I could reach a larger number of people and create much more impact in the society as a healthcare professional and thus got more inclined towards the management aspect of Healthcare. Also I had always felt that though our country has so many talented doctors there was definitely a need for better healthcare management in our country, the gap was because not all non-medicos could understand healthcare that well, a doctor could definitely understand the management aspect better and hence I pursued a MHA and a Doctorate in Professional Entrepreneurship.

Though I dearly miss teaching my students and treating my patients I always make it a point in my management practice to visit the hospital patients every day and interact with them as to how we could serve them better.

Please comment your views on the growth of Wadia’s Hospital.

I got the opportunity to work with Wadia Hospitals in November 2012 when the Hospital was undergoing a major crisis situation, I took this as a challenge and slowly started working towards streamlining the transformation of both the Hospitals. Other then the operational challenges the infrastructure of the Hospital being a heritage structure has been a challenge as well in terms of stability and expansion of services. Infact when I had taken up the challenge both the Hospitals were operational under one building, as other building of Children Hospital had undergone structural 6

www.m e d e g a t e t o d a y. co m May 2018

Dr. Minnie Bodhanwala CEO, Wadia Hospital

COVER STORY

damages in 2007-2008 and was not safe for patients. My initial mission was to get the Childrens Hospital functional and increase the scope of services with improved quality of patient care and ensure safety for all patients.Streamlining the hospital operations in weakened infrastructure with a financial crisis was the biggest hurdle. It took a great deal of strategic planning and hard work with patience in order to reach the point we are at today and we are very positive we will go much ahead in this journey with these Hospitals,not only being amongst the best Hospitals in India but also in the World. Our Chairman Mr. Nusli Wadia and Board member Mr. Ness Wadia have been a great influence in my life. The strong insight of our Chairman’s vision towards the goal and driving us by mentoring new systems and techniques to be adopted in spite of challenges and standing with the team as one during crisis situation has inspired us a lot. With support and strategic guidance we have been able to achieve major transformations for the organizations. Proudly we have achieved the same and today we have a fully functional Paediatric hospital with 530 Beds.

What developments will shape Wadia’s growth in near future.

Our Children’s hospital is the first dedicated Paediatric hospital established in the country and the largest as well. Today the hospital provide more then 30 super specialty services under one roof, we have 7 OTS where complex surgeries like cardiac surgery, neurosurgery etc. are performed. We proudly host the largest NICU in the world with 150 beds. We also have a nodal center for clubfoot disease in Maharashtra and soon will start with our own Cath Lab, MRI centre and a Bone Marrow Transplant unit. We are also looking forward to establish an advanced Cancer treatment unit and Organ Transplant centre. Our Maternity Hospital specializes in offering affordable Obstetrics and Gynaecology services to women across all the sections of the society; the hospital also specializes in providing IVF care at a much-subsidized cost and also has a human milk bank to help the children who are not fortunate enough to get it. The maternity hospital would undergo a major transformation soon starting with structural stability being a nine decade old structure. What sets us apart is the social impact that we create.

What are the challenges to grow or establish a brand in Indian Healthcare market.

The industry is growing as always, but with increased innovation and improvements in technology in the last few years I see the industry to be growing faster and becoming more challenging in the coming years. Well as we all know there are no shortcuts to success, I have always believed in building systems and implementing them to achieve the desired results. Understanding problems and being creative in solving them is something that could help establish a

successful brand in Healthcare. To recognise talent within the system and utilisation of the same optimally is also one of the key working areas.

What are the challenges associated with heritage hospitals?

Yes I do agree that Heritage buildings come with their own sets of challenges but when it comes to the Wadia Hospitals our iconic buildings come with more then 9 decades of expertise and strong sense of commitment to the society. Our commitment lies not only in our expert staff, but also the strong community around us the same supports us and comes together as one for any set of challenges. Our biggest strength here is the 9-decade-old vision of our founders to empower the women and children for better health then and even today.

How do you provide quality healthcare at an affordable price?

Well quality in healthcare should never be compared with the price of the service; every patient deserves quality and safe care at any healthcare institute. We have trained our staff with the same vision and educated them on the various standards of quality and patient safety in order to achieve the highest level of patient satisfaction for them at an affordable price.

You have been associated with two heritage hospitals for more than five years. How has been the journey so far?

I couldn’t thank our Chairman and Board members enough for giving me the opportunity and showing complete trust in me. This journey has been the most challenging yet most rewarding experience of my life.

During this tenure of 5 years I cant think of a single day that has gone by where my mind has taken some rest for my family, or myself. Day and night I am always focused on how we could better our services for the patients and offer all the services under one roof. Primarily my responsibilities are focused towards strtegizing and achieving the objectives and strive harder towards the vision and mission of the organizations, I also dedicate a lot of time for positive change management and team building across all the departments.

I woul describe myself as an individual who is striving for impact and focused on results, I always believe in a realistic approach for the everyday challenges I face and that has helped me achieve the most difficult tasks with precision.The hospitals have become a part of my soul and this is the level of my commitment that gives me the sense of fulfillment and purpose in my life though there is yet a lot to be achieved for both the hospitals 

w w w.medegatetoday.com May 2018

7

COVER STORY

The Lady with Positive Attitude & Believe in Quality and Accuracy Ms. Monika Gupta Executive Director

ED & Head of Quality & Patient Satisfaction.........

Ms. Monika Gupta D/o Dr R A Gupta heads the quality piece & is well versed with all aspects of Pathology & Radiology divisions which enables SIPL to stay a step ahead of others and perform each test with utmost accuracy as it is the basis upon which the business is done. She is involved in the micro-analysis of each process and is also the author of NABL manual which highlights all our systems & procedures.

SIPL has been a ISO (DNV) certified diagnostic set up for over a decade now and quarterly assessments & yearly appraisals are handled by Monika single handedly with the help of other HODs of various departments which has enabled us to not only maintain but also continuously improve quality standards. She is the person behind the prestigious NABL accreditation also as SIPL earned the rare distinction of being the very few private diagnostic set ups in whole of NCR to get NABL certification. Infact, it was the first pDC in whole of North, West & Outer West Delhi to have achieved this valuable accreditation, which stands for utmost quality & accuracy of test results in the field of Pathology.

8

www.m e d e g a t e t o d a y. co m May 2018

Interestingly, Monika is a keen observer & her response time and non conformity closure time lines are better than the best when it comes to patient query resolution, customer satisfaction and patient conveniences. She also has an eye for detail, just like her father & brother and spends most of her time in resolving both internal & external queries & also prepares & facilitates Root Cause Analysis of any Non Conformity that may arise in Operations, spl Lab, Her understanding of the business combined by her unbiased approach makes her the perfect candidate to Head the Quality vertical, which has been ‘consistently doing well in the past several years because of her newer initiatives, positive thinking & hard work. She is currently involved in exploring the possibility of getting the prestigious CAP (College of American Pathologists) accreditation, I thereby making SIPL the only private diagnostic set up in the country to achieve this rare distinction.

COVER STORY

A paradigm shift that impact the leadership quality in multi-sectoral vision of policy and implementation Few women are in position of Director/CEO/ Health Secretary roles as a women leader what will be your priorities for mother and child, female feticide and women empowerment, is there any programme to protect and encourage women?

Tell us about your journey as an IAS into different domain?

As an IAS officer, we spend about the first decade of our service in the field, working as Sub Divisional Magistrates heading the Sub-division looking after both development and regulatory work, as Joint Collectors attending to items pertaining to revenue, administration and public distribution and as Collectors, who are overall in-charge of not only revenue, development, regulatory but also law and order situation in the district. This field level experience is of critical importance as it prepares you for leadership and exposes you to a multi-sectoral vision of policy and implementation paradigms.

Briefly, this challenge has been a great learning experience which has enhanced me at a personal level also.

How you are seeing yourself as a Health Secretary and challenges?

As Health Secretary of a country of the size of a sub-continent with huge diversities, I see myself as being given an opportunity to make a difference. The challenges are huge, but then so are the opportunities. It will be my endeavour to do my best.

As a woman officer, one is empathetic to the concerns of women and children. In an earlier assignment, I had the opportunity to work on ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ initiative of the government which deals not only child sex ratio but women empowerment on a life cycle basis. These issues are dear to me and women’s health a priority. In the present assignment focus is also on TB (our resolve is to end TB by 2025), vector borne diseases, NCDs, HIV AIDS and communicable diseases.

With Ayushman Bharat, we move towards preventive and promotive primary health care. Spreading awareness on healthy living, creating mechanism for early screening of NCDs-TB through health and wellness Centres and providing financial support to needy for hospitalization expenses is the mandate of the initiative.

What are the upcoming projects in healthcare for Medical education as announced by Minister all district hospital will be converted into Medical College?

The Ministry has taken up a scheme for establishment of new Medical Colleges by upgrading District/Referral hospitals.

In the first phase, 58 Districts and 20 States/UTs were identified and Rs.5,000 crore have been released to the States/UTs under the scheme.

In the phase-II of this project, the Government is ensuring establishment of one Medical College in every Block of three Parliamentary constituencies and at least one government Medical College in each State. Under this phase, 24 new Medical colleges have been identified.

These new medical colleges will be established at an estimated cost of Rs.250 crore/per college.

To encourage Post Graduate Medical Education, the Government is also providing assistance of Rs.1.2 crore/per seat to the Government Medical Colleges.

Please tell us about your flagship Programme “Ayushman Bharat”?

The Union Budget 2018-19 announcement of “Ayushman Bharat” rests on two pillars of health care delivery – Comprehensive Primary Health Care with effective systems of referrals for continuum of care and financial protection for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation with family coverage upto Rs.5 lakhs. Ayushman Bharat looks at health in a holistic manner and is designed to cover primary, secondary and tertiary care of the poor population in a seamless manner.

Ayushman Bharat will be operationalised through network of Health and Wellness Centres for comprehensive primary healthcare that includes preventive and promotive health and Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Swasthya Suraksha Mission for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.

About 1,50,000 Sub-centres and PHCs would be transformed as Health and Wellness Centres by 2022 and this is planned to be taken up in phases. The Health and Wellness centres would provide an expanded package of primary health care services. Given the alarming threat of the emerging burden of noncommunicable diseases accounting for 62% of all mortality in adult men and 52% among women the Government has already initiated universal screening for prevention and management of five common communicable diseases; hypertension, diabetes and three common cancers – those of the oral cavity, breast and cervix for individuals above thirty years of age. The other services would be added incrementally.

w w w.medegatetoday.com May 2018

9

COVER STORY

The Medical Device Industry has the capability to become a growth engine for the economy Describe yourself as a woman Leader?

In the 80’s, my husband, Suresh Vazirani had a passion, a dream, a desire to provide accurate and affordable diagnosis for patients across India, for which he founded a small business, supported by his brothers. I found this to be a very worthy and necessary mission and decided to work together with him, leaving my own job with Diners Club credit cards. All I knew was that we were on this journey called life and we had to have one vision, one goal and unwavering commitment, which was expressed through our work together. It was with this attitude that I approached life in general in all spheres, family and social, while all along playing a pivotal role in our business. This mission became the center of our lives and would later evolve to become India’s Leading Invitro Diagnostic Company!

Right from day one, we have strongly trusted and therefore believed in empowering our workforce with all the necessary training tools and information for smooth day-to-day operations.

In our company all my colleagues at work are a part of my extended family and so we try to be together for each other in this adventure of life. We love to celebrate festivals and everybody’s successes, both small and large.

Ms Mala Vazirani

Executive Director, Transasia Bio-Medicals Ltd.

It has been a fabulous learning experience, a purposeful, satisfying journey if not entirely a perfect one. As you would imagine, despite all our attempts to lead a balanced life, we, our families and those of our senior team members, often had to make a lot of personal sacrifices, because of our commitment and care to our customers that resulted in long extended work hours, forgoing social life, and family dinners. Especially in the first 20 years, the business demanded unstinted attention and one had to nurture it in a highly responsive way. I truly appreciate and acknowledge the sacrifices made by my team as well their families; without their support, it wouldn’t have been possible.

This is where as a woman I rely on my intuition to care for people, prioritize issues requiring attention and resources. As always, I find myself trying to balance between immediate transitory gains and long-term benefits. In doing so, while one can never achieve the perfect balance and please everyone, however, I can say that my conscience and I are still good friends, and I can sleep well without any guilt of compromising my personal value system.

Another important aspect of being a woman in business is the ability to see beyond logic and numbers, which though important, overshadow “feelings”. Our doctors, our end-users including the patients, our employees and we ourselves are human. And so, I take special efforts to ensure that people’s feelings are accorded due importance. We have built these values into our business processes and policies. Besides, through the various employee welfare and engagement programs we assist them in improving their skill sets and taking on additional responsibilities.

10

www.m e d e g a t e t o d a y. co m May 2018

Mrs. Mala Vazirani with Mr. Suresh Vazirani Chairman & Managing Director, Transasia Bio-Medicals Ltd.

COVER STORY

Initially, when I joined the company, of the seven people working with us, only two were women. The general policy was to hire only male engineers and technicians. The good news is that we have changed and are gender neutral when it comes to recruiting the most capable person for the job, and so often enough it’s the women who get selected! And having many women in the workplace is one way to ensure a healthy work culture and instill confidence and a sense of security in women in the workplace.

What are the challenges you faced as a woman leader in the Medical device sector?

The challenges I faced were not so many in the business space but more on the home front. Travelling for business and work, meant long hours and days away from home, and providing a secure and happy home environment for my children was my greatest challenge. I am very grateful to my parents and some wonderful friends who generously and lovingly filled this gap. It would not have been possible to grow the business without them.

On the business side, there was a great demand for medical devices from our customers. Largely imported from the West and Japan in the 80s and 90s, they were very expensive and unaffordable to most pathologists. Providing affordable diagnostic systems became our key motivation to design and manufacture these products in lndia. In fact, we were even able to export them to China as they were also not manufacturing.

Another key challenge was to find people who are as committed as you are. It was quite a task finding people with the right skill sets, experience and necessary competence.

We also faced a resource constraint since, unlike today, banks and venture capitalists were averse to financing start-ups like ours.

How do you plan strategies - Business development, new product innovations etc.?

Our focus is not merely on maximizing profits for the company; rather we have more serious targets for customer satisfaction. All that we do in India and across our global subsidiaries, revolve around our vision of being committed to a Healthier and Happier World through innovative products and services that meet customer needs.

How has been the growth of the Medical Diagnostics equipment market in India?

Do you see any momentum?

The Medical Device Industry has the capability to become a growth engine for the economy, create jobs, raise GDP and become a net Foreign Exchange Earner larger than the infotech industry. Globally, exports of medical devices contribute trillions of dollars to economies of the USA, EU, China and Japan. Less than 20% Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Afghans, Nepalis, South Americans, Egyptians and Africans have access to effective medical services, 80% don’t have access to any meaningful or effective modern medical services. To understand the size

of the opportunity, one needs to know that the country has a huge 70% import dependency in this sector while just serving 20% of the population. Whereas for the Indian economy, with lakhs of educated unemployed, a robust Indian Medical Device Industry would serve not just India but also the world at large.

By encouraging the manufacture of import substitutes, we would be giving a huge boost to the economy, thereby, creating lakhs of jobs, giving employment and livelihood to millions if we were able to take advantage of this huge market opportunity.

How is Transasia a leader in IVD products?

Leaders provide answers and solutions and Transasia does exactly that. Without waiting for government grants, we invest heavily into innovation and manufacture affordable products for the poorer countries of the world. We are committed to the diagnosis of diseases of the poor such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, malaria and dengue. The big MNCs of the western countries have no interest in researching or producing for developing countries, as they are not lucrative markets. We adopt the latest technologies from our global subsidiaries and customize it to meet the needs for early diagnosis and treatment of a range of health disorders of the people in countries such as Africa, South Asia and South America. In line with our commitment, we recently launched the ErbaQik range of rapid tests with unique features, for accurate dengue and malaria detection and treatment in response to the rapid spread of the disease in India.

What is unique about Transasia?

At Transasia, we, i.e. Suresh, myself, the senior team, our long service employees as well as our youngest recruits, all believe and clearly understand that we are here to partner with medical professionals in hospitals and labs for the treatment and recovery of the patients in the shortest possible time. Our role is to provide the tools and training to empower them for accurate diagnosis of the disease. Our work for 40 years now has been consistent and as a result, we are acknowledged and trusted by customers to be their strength inside the lab, which is the common critical service that all medical specialties depend on. After all, every patient deserves the best prognosis and treatment. And in Transasia, we make it a point to never forget this and hence offer total solutions for clinical diagnosis backed by dedicated application support and after-sales service.

We are very happy that our life’s work is inspiring many young, talented as well as senior, experienced people from a dozen countries in all spheres such as medicine, science, information technology, marketing, etc. to join the company, including our son, so that the company may continue to grow and have this dedicated focus.

Going forward, we plan to keep the focus on our corporate purpose and values, as much as on cutting-edge research and development by our global teams in technologies like molecular diagnostics for India and the emerging world countries.

w w w.medegatetoday.com May 2018

11

COVER STORY

A Dynamic Leader in Healthcare Quality & Education I pledge to spread awareness of quality in healthcare to tier 2 and 3 cities of India and to train them through a strong team of stalwarts and experts in the team.

Tell us about your journey into healthcare since your inception?

Dr. Santwana Vernekar Founder Q-Team

12

www.m e d e g a t e t o d a y. co m May 2018

It’s been a pretty log journey but I’m glad I’m on the right path.

I started off in the year 1997 as an Application Specialist for a Medical Electronic Division. Quality was a core factor there. Working there, developed my interest for quality in field of diagnostics . In the year 2003, I started my own Biotech Pathology Lab and later, in the year 2007, converted it into a Diagnostic Centre. The primary focus was providing accurate and quality reports within shortest TAT. Moreover, as our CSR Activity we were focused on providing special services to economically weaker sections , Senior Citizens and Defense personnel’s of the society. This unique move by my Organization gave a vision to many to start such activities as a return to the society.

In the year 2011, I started working as a Biochemist in Nanavati Hospital. There again, the prime focus was quality and training.

I faced a lot of hurdles but was determined to achieve and , I worked onto make my people realize about ‘quality’ through various awareness trainings and auditing. My main aim was to take Quality to the Next Level. For this I kept improving my knowledge and obtaining Six Sigma green belt and a Doctorate in Management helped me further to share my knowledge with everyone. My management was very kind in providing me the resources.

COVER STORY

In Jan 2017, I came up with ‘Q-Team’- which stands for QualityTraining and Education in Accreditation and Management.

Q-Team is basically pioneer into training and education for hospital and healthcare organizations. Here in Q-Team, we have more than 45 trainers from all over the country. They are experts and Stalwarts in their area of expertise and we all share the common platform Q-TEAM to spread knowledge.

My focus , diligence and determination got me awarded on several platforms of national and International Level.

Please elaborate your expertise into healthcare quality management.

I have been successful in helping healthcare organizations attainbest quality practices and certification/ accreditation , without the support of a consultant or a handholding. Being a Six Sigma- Green Belt and an Auditor , Lead assessor and Principal Assessor, I have gained and shared my knowledge at all platforms.

I am recognized for my unique quality and training skills. I have a unique way of quality assessment and training techniques.

Me and my Team, carry a unique style for training.

As a woman leader and entrepreneur, what are the challenges that were faced by you?

Answer: It’s a known fact that success doesn’t happen overnight. Things take time; it demands hard work, patience, dedication and enthusiasm. While starting up my own business, I faced a number of challenges that came on the way of their growth. They go through and counter various issues of acceptance not only from the family and society but also in the corporate world where they go through prodigious hurdles.

Dealing with men was one such major hurdle. Most would consider any given field to be male-dominated. It’s even more of a challenge when you’re coming in as a woman having to give direction to men that may not want any direction.

While dealing with opposite Gender Many women may feel as though they need to adopt a stereotypical “male” attitude toward business: that is, competitive, aggressive and sometimes overly- harsh. But just like most successful female CEOs, I too believe that remaining true to yourself and finding your own voice are the keys to rising above preconceived expectations. I have also faced my set of such experiences but overcame these strategically.

Building up a support network Knowing where to find the right support network isn’t always easy. I had to smartly and diligently deal with the people for support network, be it my family, my mentors or people who worked with me.

Balancing professional and family life Work-life balance is a goal for many entrepreneurs, regardless of their gender, but mothers especially of teens, who start businesses have to simultaneously manage family and company. And in this area, traditional gender-expectations often still prevail. I’m thankful to my daughter and son for being co-operative and understanding my responsibilities towards my passion. In fact they started supporting me in their free time in the best possible way. Being an Event Manager herself, my daughter got involved into projects where her expertise helped my streamline activities. As a proud mother, I could give Quality time to my children rather than Quantity time.

The fear of failure Being a woman entrepreneur brought up a lot of challenges in life and the major challenge was failure. I had to go through lots of “NOs” and then to get that one “YES” that can change my work life positively and help in achieving success. For me, Patience and Acceptance played an important role. “Action speaks louder than words.” I was just being confident about my dream and was of the notion that let the world hear what I could do and plan to do.

Please let us know about your initiative about Q-Team.

As I just mentioned, Q-Team stands for Quality- Training and Education for Accreditation and Management and our motto is, ‘We strive for excellence… yours and ours’. Q-team is the pioneer in innovative healthcare education and implementation.

We believe that quality is no accident, instead it is a result of high intention, sincere efforts, intelligent directions and skillful execution.

As a founder of Q-Team, I took a pledge on April 6, 2017 at the Medical Trade Fair at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi , to spread awareness of quality in healthcare to tier 2 and 3 cities of India and to train them through a strong team of stalwarts and experts in the team. We are glad our perseverance has led us to success by training more than 5000 healthcare professionals in more than 100 training sessions through out the country We at Q-Team aim to head on a path of building international reputation as a leader in training and mentoring organizations to be capable of handling audits and assessments on their own and thus, eliminating external agents/ consultants. I feel immense pride in sharing this with you that we have recently been awarded with Six Sigma Healthcare Excellency Award, 2017 for Best Quality Training Organization of the Year. “ The Journey Continues”

w w w.medegatetoday.com May 2018

13

COVER

A Global Thinker on Universal Healthcare Coverage

STORY

The promise of a healthier, more equitable and secure South-East Asia Region

Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia Region

Dr. Poonam, Please tell us about your story since inception to our beloved readers from healthcare sector?

Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, an Indian national, became the first woman to assume the office of WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia on 1 February 2014. Dr Khetrapal Singh’s priority areas of work in the Region are:  Addressing the persisting and emerging epidemiological and demographic challenges;  Promoting universal health coverage and robust health systems;  Strengthening emergency risk management for sustainable development;  Articulating a strong regional voice in the global health agenda.

She served for over two decades as a civil servant in India as member of the Indian Administrative Services. She was the Health Secretary of the State of Punjab, with a population of 27 million and a health budget of US$ 350 million.

14

www.m e d e g a t e t o d a y. co m May 2018

In 1987 she moved to the Health, Population and Nutrition Department of The World Bank. In 1998 she joined WHO headquarters as Executive Director, Sustainable Development and Healthy Environments Cluster, and a member of the Director-General’s Cabinet. Dr Khetrapal Singh served as WHO Deputy Regional Director for the South-East Asia Region from 2000 to 2013. In February 2013, she joined the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India as Advisor for International Health, where her principal task was to strengthen global health outcomes and provide guidance to the Ministry to take forward the international health agenda.

Dr Poonam Singh has devoted more than three decades to strengthening public health as a leader and manager at national and international levels.

Dr. Singh has vast experience in translating scientific evidence into policy in complex state, national and international health systems through direct experience of managing low resourced health systems, leading large multi-sectoral teams and collaborating with global partners and public health leaders for delivering results in the crucially important area of health.

Her vision is reflected in building a strong, result based and responsive regional office that gives cutting edge advice, which is key to developing the best policies and strategies, and stimulates the best research to support Member States in protecting and improving the health of their people. This is of utmost importance at this critical juncture of the end of the era of the Millennium Development Goals, or MDGs, and the dawn of the Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs. The SDGs present an unprecedented opportunity to look at health development as an integrated part, indivisible part of the overall development paradigm which will require collaboration beyond just the health-related players.

In this, Dr. Singh’s experience and committed leadership will help in achieving the goals of improving physical and mental health of all at all ages and leaving no one behind through a stronger systemic approach and more integrated, multi-sectoral and holistic development strategy, particularly in the scenario of dwindling international development aid.

Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, as the Regional Director of WHO, which is the key international technical agency collaborating with Member States, exclusively on health issues at global, regional and country levels, has ensured significant progress in the regional flagship priority areas.

COVER STORY

She is dedicated to further leveraging her vast international and national experience to develop and reinforce partnerships, bringing together the full spectrum of public health stakeholders including policy makers, researchers, scientists, academicians, practitioners and civil society, and managing the regional office and its resources for result based public health outcomes.

What are the agenda of WHO for South East Asia you are working for?

I take charge as Regional Director at an important moment in the history of public health and at a critical time in the evolution of WHO. I do so in all humility, knowing full well the challenges that lie ahead.

The public health arena is changing fast. The paradigm shifts are evident in the agendas of the World Health Assembly and Regional Committee meetings over the past decade. The dominance of communicable diseases, inspite of their continued relevance, stands eroded. Noncommunicable diseases, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), universal health coverage, intellectual property rights, virus sharing, essential and affordable medical products and the impact of socioeconomic and environmental determinants on health are increasingly engaging the time and attention of our Governing Bodies.

What is your vision, Mission & future planning?

My vision I propose an ambitious “1 by 4” plan. The 1 refers to a more responsive WHO in the Region and the 4 refers to the 4 strategic areas:  Addressing the persisting and emerging epidemiological and demographic challenges.  Advancing universal health coverage and robust health systems. S trengthening emergency risk management for sustainable development.  Articulating a strong Regional voice in the global health agenda.

Addressing the persisting and emerging epidemiological and demographic challenges Member States in the Region have made spectacular health gains in recent years with concerted national efforts.

The most impressive achievement is the eradication of wild poliovirus. A few months from now, this Region is likely to be certified polio-free. This is certainly a testimony to the capability of the Region. This success must be replicated for other vaccine preventable childhood killers to fully protect all children from premature morbidity and mortality. We join the United Nations Secretary General in recognizing the achievements of Bangladesh and Nepal in MDGs 4 and 5.

We are progressing steadily in combating diseases enunciated in MDG 6. Since 1990 tuberculosis mortality has declined by 40% and malaria kills 82% fewer people. Maldives continues to be malaria free. The HIV epidemic in most of the high-burden countries has been reversed. However, we need to work together

to protect these gains from the menace of drug resistance and coinfections.

Microorganisms continue to surprise us. These caused the influenza pandemic, SARS and avian flu leading to international chaos. The global response against these events is the International Health Regulations (2005). IHR demands substantial scaling-up of national capacity. We must enhance this capacity for ensuring health security in our Region.

While our fight against communicable diseases continues unabated, the escalating epidemic of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is stretching health systems. More than half of our mortality is caused by cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, cancers, and diabetes. It is a matter of concern that a third of these deaths occur in people under 60 years of age.

Unhealthy lifestyles, unwholesome food, and increasing alcohol and tobacco use are major behavioural risk factors. Sri Lanka has taken the lead in our Region in declaring 2013 as the year of preventing NCDs. Ten countries have adopted legislative and administrative measures to curb the tobacco menace. Health promotion and primary prevention of NCDs is critical. Prevention requires multisectoral actions from multiple stakeholders in nonhealth sectors whose policies have adverse health effects.

Mental health is generally neglected. We need to integrate mental health services as part of primary care. Malnutrition in children under five is very high and needs to be addressed through a set of integrated interventions and multisectoral approaches.

The maternal mortality rate among young women continues to be worrisome. Pregnancies must be made safer than they are today. Gender-based violence needs to be tenaciously addressed.

Tobacco consumption among women, including smokeless tobacco, has to be reduced. Our populations are ageing at an unprecedented rate. People aged above 65 will soon outnumber children under the age of five. We are committed to promoting health and well being across the whole life course.

Advancing on universal health coverage and robust systems With its three dimensions of access, affordability and quality, universal health coverage (UHC) is the most important game changer in public health. Thailand has successfully made available to its entire population a health system that provides access to affordable, comprehensive, quality health services. We need to share Thailand’s experience across the Region.

Improving access requires overcoming four main barriers: geographical, technological, social and financial. These are not insurmountable. Efficient implementation of the telemedicine project in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has demonstrated the reach and utility of technology to far-flung areas of this nation beset with difficult terrain. There is untapped opportunity to improve access to health through new cost-effective technologies. Research, innovation and affordable health technologies need to be encouraged.

The WHO South-East Asia Region has the highest out-of-pockw w w.medegatetoday.com May 2018

15

COVER STORY

et spending on health and relatively low public investment in health. This is a key cause of overall inequities. In 1978, Alma-Ata showed the importance of primary health care rooted in the community and attuned to its economic, social and cultural aspirations. With escalating NCDs and ageing, health-care costs will spiral upwards. A comprehensive approach is needed to meet people’s expectations. Our health systems must deliver quality preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative health services. Public–private partnerships could be a pragmatic way to complement the efforts of the public sector. The Rural Health Insurance Scheme from India holds valuable lessons for public– private partnerships especially those for the poorest.

Increased access to essential, high-quality and affordable medical products remains a major concern. The pharmaceutical industry, regulatory authorities and even the judiciary have roles ensuring universal access to quality medicines. Prices, patents, generic versions and innovation drive pharmaceutical markets.

Intellectual property issues carry global sensitivity and complexity requiring deft navigation. While innovative approaches are needed to encourage medical research and development, flexibilities in international agreements provide access to those who cannot afford high prices. The right balance must be sought.

In addition, cost-effective procurement mechanisms need to be explored. We must facilitate this especially for countries in greatest need, such as Bhutan, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Maldives, and Timor-Leste.

Delivery of quality health services is possible through adequate production, management and training of health workforces, backed by appropriate infrastructure and functioning referral systems. Critical shortages, inadequate skill mix, uneven geographical distribution, internal migration from rural to urban areas or public to private sectors are challenges that need to be addressed through renewed approaches regarding their production, education and training as well as their working conditions and remuneration. Health workforce strengthening will be given utmost importance.

Strengthening emergency risk management The WHO South-East Asia Region is extremely disaster prone.

The World disaster report 2012 reveals that in the past decade, 41% of global mortality from natural hazards was in countries of the Region. The Tsunami of December 2004, taught us several lessons. Member States were instrumental in establishing the South-East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund in 2007, which has helped meet immediate financial needs of our countries for a quick response in emergencies. The 12 Benchmarks for Emergency Preparedness and Response have received global recognition and provide a framework for national capacity-building.

Political conflicts have been as challenging. Timor-Leste, during its struggle for independence in 2002, had 70% of its infrastructure destroyed and 70% of its population displaced, which had a significant impact on its health systems and the health status of its people. However, the country has exhibited exceptional progress in its rehabilitation, reconstruction and rebuilding ef16

www.m e d e g a t e t o d a y. co m May 2018

forts. We need to take a holistic approach and integrate prevention, risk reduction, preparedness, response and recovery. We must make disaster risk reduction an integral part of national strategies and sustainable development policy.

A strong voice in the global health agenda South-Asian thinkers have led the international debate on health and development – from Professor Amartya Sen’s seminal work on the human development index that emphasized social development, to the global attention that Bhutan has drawn on gross national happiness as a guiding principle for the post-2015 MDG agenda.

In this era of interdependency and cooperation, stronger voices are generated through alliances and partnerships. The Tsunami demonstrated the multisectoral and multicountry coordinated support for immediate response and rapid recovery. We will strengthen existing partnerships and engage in new ones.

To deliver effectively on these four strategic areas, the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia needs to be more responsive and align with the health needs of Member States. The time-tested “honest broker” role of WHO shall be assiduously augmented through human resources of the highest calibre with proven competence, commitment and a focus on:  Providing technical and policy support that is objective and apolitical;  Mobilizing expertise for institutional- and capacity-building in countries;  Supporting ministries of health in coordinating all stakeholders including development partners around the national health agenda.

Our diversity is a rich one. We belong to a Region that is blessed with some of the best health experts, state-of-the-art collaborating centres, finest medical facilities and a booming pharmaceutical industry. We will promote intercountry cooperation. We must work to create a common vision that builds incrementally on each and every country’s strengths and capacities, that shares information and best practices, and uses local and regional networks for capacity-building.

My vision is to partner you in eliminating gross health inequalities and enhancing human welfare. My vision is to augment the capacities of all Member States so that our Region is recognized for its intellectual vigour and evidence-based decision-making.

My vision and determination are to make the WHO South-East Asia Region an excellence-pursuing, responsive, and accountable organization. My vision is to make our Region globally known as a leader in public health.

What is your take on universal health coverage robust system and your priorities?

The promise of universal health coverage (UHC) is bold: that all people can access quality health services, when and where they need them, without suffering financial hardship.

UHC’s benefits are clear. UHC is central to improving health

COVER STORY

and well-being – a fundamental human right. Healthier populations in turn create more productive economies that raise living standards. UHC also strengthens health security by making it easier to contain the spread of infectious disease and respond effectively to natural disasters. UHC’s potential to promote better health, enhance equity and fortify health security can – and must – be fully harnessed.

Importantly, UHC is feasible: Whether a country is rich or poor, progress is possible. Some countries, including in the WHO South-East Asia Region, have already made significant advances. They began doing so when they were ‘low-income’. That is a critical point: No-one starts from zero; there are always opportunities to move ahead.

Since 2014 WHO South-East Asia has worked to leverage those opportunities, identifying UHC as a Flagship Priority, and – in consultation with Member countries – mapping-out and implementing a series of game-changing initiatives.

That includes increasing the availability and performance of health workers and ensuring their knowledge and skills are fitfor-purpose for today’s (and tomorrow’s) health needs. It also includes attracting health workers to rural and hard-to-reach areas and retaining them once there. Adapting frontline services to meet the needs of the Region’s ageing populations, as well as the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and heart disease, has likewise been a crucial point of focus. That can be well understood: Apart from the Region-wide shift to increasingly sedentary lifestyles, by 2020 more of the Region’s population will be over 60 than under-5.

Increasing access to essential medicines has been similarly fundamental. Innovative mechanisms such as the South-East Asia Regulatory Network, which pools the Region’s regulatory resources, will go a long way to helping make safe, good quality medicines and medical products accessible to all. So too will present efforts to encourage greater price transparency via a multi-country information-sharing platform. A Region-wide initiative to pool the procurement of medicines, beginning with antidotes, will meanwhile benefit its smaller countries by increasing their bargaining power.

In each of these areas and more, progress has been made. According to the latest data, in the last eight years health services coverage has improved in all of the Region’s 11 Member countries. That is to be celebrated.

But Region-wide challenges remain immense. Around half of the South-East Asia Region’s population still lacks full coverage of essential health services. Some 65 million are pushed into extreme poverty, mainly due to paying out-of-pocket for medicines, especially for NCDs and other common ailments.

Given the Region’s sustained economic growth, accelerated progress is both possible and necessary. Though action across sectors is essential to enhance health coverage, priority health programmes clearly play a major role. But to make health services truly universal they must be designed around and for peo-

ple, rather than around diseases or institutions. Doing so will have immediate and lasting impact.

Accordingly, increased public spending on health is crucial.

Increased public spending not only makes additional resources available – from more staff to basic tools and technologies – but can also help reduce household out-of-pocket spending, thereby increasing financial protection. In recent years, many of the Region’s countries have increased the amount they spend on health. This should also increase the affordability of (and therefore access to) health services, while decreasing the number of people being left behind.

But more public funding is not enough: Greater value for money is imperative. That means developing and implementing longterm strategies that define what services are required, who will deliver them, and designing payment mechanisms that maximize efficiency and equity. Sound complex? Basically, it means organizing health systems in ways that offer the right services to the people who need them.

Finally, monitoring matters. Monitoring helps us understand who is being left behind and why. It helps us learn what is working and what is not, allowing us to make course corrections where needed. It is to the Region’s immense credit that in 2017 eight Member countries completed voluntary national reviews of progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), including on health. In the same year, Member countries unanimously agreed to review progress on UHC and SDG3 (the health-specific goal) at WHO South-East Asia’s annual Regional Committee until 2030. That will prove critical to gauging progress and maintaining momentum.

To that end, the wind is at our back. The leadership and vision of WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus – whose top priority is securing health coverage for all – is driving global support for what WHO South-East Asia and its Member countries are striving to achieve: to honor a promise that is bold yet simple, and that will change the lives of millions of people across the Region and beyond – health coverage that is universal; health coverage that is for everyone, everywhere and leaves no one behind.

w w w.medegatetoday.com May 2018

17

NEWS Update

The Glorious Journey Replenished with Great Moments

Time really flies! I get amazed when I look back to the journey of more than 35 years in the field of healthcare. It feels like yesterday when I threw my cap at the graduation ceremony in 1983 at the prestigious Lady Hardinge Medical College. The journey has certainly not been a cakewalk and I still remember the moments of struggle and agony. As a child, I had always dreamt of wearing the proverbial white coat and entering the medical profession. So, when I got admission to Lady Hardinge College, all my hopes and hard work was realized. Having seen my mother, sisters and other women, I understood the struggles we bore and the pain taken to deliver and raise our children.

At that time, our country had one of the highest maternal death rates and it was my goal to contribute and teach other doctors to prevent maternal mortality and child foeticide. Hence, I chose the field of gynecology & human reproduction so that I can become an expert and help millions of women. Completing Diploma in Gynecology and Obstetrics, Diploma in Endoscopy from Germany and MD from Delhi were the milestones in the journey of achieving complete command over the subject.

Getting a job in a public-sector undertaking hospital was the dream job for most of my classmates and I was fortunate enough to hit the bull’s-eye in the first attempt. The association was quite long and I stayed for more than 15 years and headed the gynecology department of the hospital for quite a bit of time. I conquered great heights of attainment and every case was like a new learning. Through my tenure, I did more than 9000 caesarean sections and 5000 Hysterectomies including non-descent Hysterectomies even up to 16-week size uterus.

Life is tough for every woman in India and it is further difficult for working women. But, I had perfected the art of balancing life between home, kids and professional commitments and had a great, content life. However, I started meeting more and more infertile couples and their pain and struggle of not being able to complete their family concerned me. With a lot of thought behind it, I decided to take a giant leap and quit my comfortable job, just four years before I would have complete 20 years of public service and get my pension. I decided to start my own hospital and swim in the turbulent and challenging stream of self-occupation.

I got trained in ART from Singapore and started practicing at Adiva Hospital, a women centric hospital which I co-founded.

Dr. Rita Bakshi

Chair Person, International Fertility Centre 18

www.m e d e g a t e t o d a y. co m May 2018

COVER STORY

Getting a phenomenal success of 50% in Assisted Reproduction Technologies was certainly a remarkable achievement that I am proud of. The job gave me tremendous satisfaction as far as my expertise was concerned, but I realized it is not easy to manage your partners and promoters.

So I decided to start my own centre that would cater to infertile couples and launched it under the brand name of International Fertility Centre (IFC). Starting IFC was like the conception of a baby. The same agony, the same pain and the same sense of uncertainty! However, the initial troubles were over and I was more loaded and busy, but surely happier than the early times.

IFC gave me immense opportunity to serve humanity in the form of an infertility expert. Getting blessed with a baby is every couple’s dream, but not every couple is that fortunate.

Infertility is a lifestyle disease and is incredibly complex and every case poses a separate challenge. Even after treating thousands of cases successfully, I am learning something new with every case that I handle.

Treating infertility with the help of every possible treatment gives me a chance to bring smiles and happiness on the faces of people who have lost every hope of being a parent. IVF, IUI, Surrogacy, ICSI, and many other techniques are used at the centre to achieve a successful pregnancy. Innovation and creativity are always the top most priority at IFC and I never leave any opportunity to explore and experiment the latest trends in the treatment of infertility. We often use cryopreservation techniques, LASER treatment and diagnostics, therapeutic colposcopy and many other ultra-modern techniques to solve the problems of infertility and gynecology.

There is no doubt that work is the only passion for me and I get more energy as I indulge myself in the work. However, there is always a sense of social responsibility that keeps on pushing me towards the voluntary activities of issues related

to mothers and babies. I am working as the Vice President of the Indian Association of Occupational Health that deals with the occupational and industrial hazards to the workers.

I get disturbed with the poor condition of the people where women are always the worst affected ones. Cervical cancer has been the biggest element of concern for me and therefore I decided to equip people as much as possible to fight this fatal disease. I never mind visiting the remotest areas and making women aware about cervical cancer and other issues by giving presentations, seminars and lectures. Social work is an urge for me and it is not a way to merely pass the time. AAS is a nonprofit voluntary organization and I am a proud member of it. I like to express my views openly in the newspapers, magazines, and television shows. Staying connected with the generation next through medium like Twitter and Facebook gives me energy and a refreshed feeling.

The social service I have done is not for fun or fame, but it is a way to show gratitude towards society and the country which has given me everything. We owe a lot to the nation and by doing something for the people of our society is the best way to repay it. When I become a part of various organizations, my first motto is to give the best of my knowledge in the service of the common people of our country. The services extended to these organizations brings a tremendous sense of selfsatisfaction and self-contentment.

Destiny has brought me the chance to use my skill in the best possible manner and I would like to utilize my skill to help as many as possible. The feeling of happiness felt at the time of handing over a cute baby in the safe hands of her mother is simply unexplainable. I am very fortunate that god has been kind enough to give me opportunity to experience it innumerable times!

w w w.medegatetoday.com May 2018

19

COVER STORY

A fiercely independent, passionate go-getter A mother, a doctor, an achiever.

Ruby Hall Clinic • Embracing quality improvement, personalized healthcare and high-end technology for over half a century, Ruby Hall Clinic is a 850-bedded flourishing multi-specialty medical centre, along with two satellite Hospitals at Wanowarie and Hinjawadi, • The only institute to have spread its wings to 24 satellite centres across Maharashtra and multiple corporate medical centres.

• The organization has won numerous national and international accolades, placing it on the global healthcare map. These ranges from the ‘Best Organ Transplant Centre’ by NOTTO, ‘Best Hospital to Work For’ by The Economics Times, ‘Best Medical Tourism Facility’ by the Government of India amongst others.

Tell us about your leadership role as a COO in Ruby Hall Clinic Wanowarie?

A few years ago, when I stepped in as the COO of Ruby Hall Clinic Wanowarie, I knew I had a challenge carved out for me. I was the first woman in the organisation stepping into the C-Suite. Over the last few years, I have had the incredibly demanding yet fulfilling responsibility of a large, complex organisation with a diverse workforce in a strict regulatory environment. I am responsible for the smooth functioning of hospital operations, integration of strategic plans into everyday activities as well as the seamless function of services to meet the needs of my fellow clinicians, staff and patients. While each day brings its own set of challenges in this ever-changing healthcare landscape, being the COO of a hospital is not for the faint of heart. As someone who is a practicing anaesthetist, I believe in integrating my medical experience with my managerial skills

• The only hospital in India to have seven separate NABH accreditations under its belt along with a cGreen OT certification.

• It is home to several centres of excellence including Cardiology, Oncology, Bariatric Surgery and Organ transplantation, to name a few.

• Multi Organ Transplant Centre with facilities of Heart Transplant & Lung Transplant, Liver & Pancreas Transplant, Kidney Transplant, Bone marrow Transplant & Cornea Transplant.

• Recently added “Robotic Surgery” provides testimony to its technological advances.

• Ruby Hall Clinic app is now also available on PlayStore for Android Mobile.

To know more, visit: www.rubyhall.com

20

www.m e d e g a t e t o d a y. co m May 2018

Dr. Manisha Karmarkar COO, Ruby Hall Clinic Wanowarie

COVER STORY

which helps me be open to change. This allows me to make Ruby Hall Clinic Wanowarie more successful at doing what it does best — healing people.

At its core, healthcare leans towards quality patient care which is only possible with passionate and disciplined team work.

Being at the helm of affairs, I am responsible not only for care inside the institution, but also for the health of the community as a whole. This means mastering operational issues, including coordinating hospital care with physician offices and long-term rehabilitation services. I ensure we create a sense of community by building relationships not only with physicians, nurses and leadership teams, but also with front line staff who are the ‘face’ of the organisation. I make it a point to learn the names of every single member of the hospital team. It means a lot and encourages a ‘team’ attitude. It also empowers individuals to take the right decisions and work passionately which is ultimately what successful leadership is all about.

Along with this, what I’ve worked on has been actively implementing a horizontal work culture amongst teams that collaborate across departmental, professional and even corporate lives. Backed by a formidable team of women managers in various departments, each one of them leave no stone unturned in providing exceptional care with compassion. Having transformed the financial prowess of the institute, our team has been instrumental in ensuring higher patient satisfaction levels.

Through a combination of hospital affiliations, outpatient specialty care centres, health care accreditations and corporate partnerships, we have redefined ‘swanky healthcare’ while taking it to the next level.

What are the challenges you face as a woman leader? How do you overcome them?

I have been fortunate to work in an organisation that encourages its women employees to lead from the front. Our CEO, Mr, Bomi Bhote remains to be the wind beneath my wings. I attribute my learnings as a leader to him, without whom none of this would have been possible. However, I do know that not many women have been as fortunate.

Having worked in a male-dominated environment, I too have experienced challenges and understand that some issues are beyond individuals’ control. Like many societal challenges, the root of the problem is multifaceted and nearly impossible to pin on one factor. Gender stereotypes play a role; balancing family responsibilities and hectic work schedules, along with rigid leave policies and the constant need to upgrade one’s skills and education are challenging. Sometimes due to these factors, women themselves temper their own aspirations, believing their upward mobility may be limited - especially in the field of healthcare.

This doesn’t mean that women can’t or shouldn’t lead, with or without authority. It means being aware of the biases and challenges women leaders face, rising to confront them and working hard to overcome them. If you take ownership of your

work and present yourself as a leader, others throughout your organisation will begin to see you as a leader. Being confident and speaking from a place of strength will go a long way in convincing others to follow you, whether or not you have direct authority over them. At Ruby Hall Clinic, countless women like myself relish the support and motivation we receive - right from being encouraged to take ownership, flexible working hours as well as the ability to work from home when needed. Subtle changes such as these have truly helped us talent tap into our strengths. This speaks volumes about the work culture of our organisation.

To sum it up, I believe that women are the largest reservoir of talent and we owe it to our patients, our employees, and the communities we serve to do everything we can to increase the number of women in leadership roles.

What are the initiatives or strategies you have undertaken to incorporate technology into healthcare?

It’s amazing to look back and see just how far our world has come technologically. If someone from 100 years ago suddenly found themselves in today’s world, they would think they had been teleported into another dimension. The same can be said about technology in healthcare. Surgical techniques, superior imaging, electronic health records and telemedicine have each played significant roles at Ruby Hall Clinic Wanowarie in improving general healthcare.

Each new healthcare technology requires a proper setting in the hospital. Take, for example our newly launched robotic surgery centre. It required a new operating protocol; the staff was trained for a wide range of procedures; and, the technology needed to work efficiently with other existing technology. And look how far we’ve come — within just a few months, Pune’s only Da Vinci robot is doing wonders for the healthcare system.

The hospital’s bid to provide exceptional, connected patient care has also led to the development of a new, digital infrastructure as part of its growing e-health strategy in the form of virtual clinics. These have lead to the overhaul of traditional treatment models, the launch of bespoke, tailored solutions, and grant patients increased choice and control over how they are treated.

This model has worked exceptionally well in the corporate setup as well as across geographical boundaries.

Our award-winning RHC mobile app and cloud-based EMR solution address the growing need of immediate access to healthcare information. We believe that leveraging technology has enhanced the comfort of doctors and fortified patient care. We always strive to be at the forefront when it comes to purchasing the best and latest in state-of-the-art technology.

This holds true for our newly acquired PET CT scan, Green Light Laser and 3D laparoscopic devices among many others.

At the end of the day, it is this technology that helps us heal our patients faster. w w w.medegatetoday.com May 2018

21

COVER STORY

What are the major achievements or moves that Ruby Hall Clinic Wanowarie has undertaken to become a world class facility in Pune?

For more than half a century, Grant Medical Foundation has had a reputation for high calibre healthcare practitioners, innovative services and powerful commitment to meeting the needs of our community. Offering a cutting-edge and nurturing medical environment, Ruby Hall Clinic Wanowarie has purposefully taken this mission forward. A healing getaway in the form of a boutique hospital, our tertiary care centre provides the sick with a serene and peaceful environment.

As a medical institute, we take pride in the following achievements:  Our 10-storey building, a LEED Gold Certified structure is Pune’s first hospital to receive the rating, and incorporates natural lit, energy efficient rooms for patients, families, and hospital staff

 We are Pune’s only hospital with six NABH certifications  Our Accident and Emergency Medical Services is the first in the city and Western Maharashtra to be accredited by the NABH Our high-tech cGreen operation theatres are made  of modular, stainless steel making us the first in Pune and fifth in India to be awarded this accreditation. The innovative equipment used in the high-tech digital theatres allow surgeons to have complete control over every aspect of their surgery O ur imaging technology is up to the minute, featuring digital mammography, MRI, PET CT scanner and high-definition endoscopy together with five-star, state-of-the-art facilities  No call to the hospital ever goes unanswered due to our in-house call centre that is available 365 days a year  With a wide range of procedures, our short-stay, minimally invasive surgeries are changing the face of modern medicine in Pune  Our dietetics and nutritional management teams work diligently to ensure the need of every patient and their family is taken care of. This includes tailored menus and food plans, room service ordering and even an international-style cafeteria  Evening OPDs for working professionals along with a number of speciality clinics add to our USP. These range from a Diabetes Clinic, Breast Clinic, Neurology Clinic, Stroke Clinic, Hip and Knee Clinic, Spine Clinic, Cardiology Clinic to even a Menopause Clinic  Pune’s most technologically advanced NICU provides life-saving care to our youngest patients  We go out of our way to take care of our international patients — right from a wifi enabled campus to assistance 22

www.m e d e g a t e t o d a y. co m May 2018

in the form of interpreters, police permissions, transport to even international culinary options W e’re the only hospital in the city to boast of a 99% patient satisfaction rate A dding to our eco credentials, our hospital is designed to be fully paperless, which means that medical personnel are able to manage patient data electronically to ensure instant access  We have been presented with the Green Hospital Award by the AHPI for our eco friendly practices  With every action and every step of the way, we at Ruby Hall Clinic Wanowarie actively push ourselves towards accessible healthcare in a healthier community. Ingrained in our very mission, we constantly redefine world-class healthcare.

How do you manage stress and what you do in your leisure time?

Life in a hospital can get really hectic. There’s always the unknown just around the corner. Every day comes with its fair share of ups and downs. As a practicing anaesthetist, I am expected to take life-altering decisions every time I am in the operating theatre. But it is this very job that has become my stress buster, helping me overcome the feeling of distress. As a COO, I am always on my toes to ensure all management and financial decisions are taken care of. During stressful times, I think it’s helpful to find some grounding. And this is where the support of my family and colleagues comes into play.

Getting back home to my husband and daughter every single day is what keeps me going. Not only do they help me unwind, but also motivate me to be the best version of myself. I’m an avid reader and not a day goes by where I sleep without listening to music. I truly believe setting aside personal time to decompress is vital - it’s essential to cut yourself off from your problems. For me, this means starting my day with exercise, the occasional family holiday, movies with my daughter and time out with friends. Most importantly, I feel having a mentor, someone to look up to and learn from is the biggest pillar of support. I am thankful to have our CEO, Mr. Bomi Bhote who has remained the unwavering guiding force in my journey.

Truthfully, most of the stress in my life is work related, but I wouldn’t consider it negative stress. The stress comes for a point of wanting to do more, to do better for this community and its residents. It’s about moving Ruby Hall Clinic Wanowarie forward to address the human challenges and reduce the illness that too many in our community face every day. Instead of stress being an obstacle in my life, it often works more as a motivator for me.

Always remember to stand tall and work passionately.

After all, no force is more powerful than a woman determined to rise!

COVER STORY

I take pride in being grounded and having gratitude for the opportunities so far in my life combat this challenge is to demonstrate depth of perspective and knowledge and draw the other end into a discussion they intellectually cherish. Ultimately, I believe nothing is a challenge if you are very good at what you do professionally.

Tell us about your company and the services offered by you?

Ms. Pushpa Vijayaraghavan Director Sathguru Management Consultants

Tell us about your journey as an women Entrepreneur?

Rewarding is the only word to describe my journey of nurturing the healthcare and lifesciences advisory practice at Sathguru. I was fortunate to start on a strong foundation with the stellar work undertaken by the firm over the last three decades. My focus has been on reinforcing our market leading position, our differentiated techno-commercial perspective and continuing to nurture the trust relationship with clients. Beyond driving growth and delivering value to clients, it has been a journey of constant learning on building organizational capacity and sustainability to lay the foundation for the next 30 years.

What are the challenges to be a women leader into business?

As a younger woman in business who is not very largely built, there is always the risk that people don’t take you seriously at the beginning. However, in the segment I am in, knowledge is all that matters and the only way to

I lead the healthcare and lifesciences advisory at Sathguru, a 30 year old consulting firm that enjoys market leading presence across strategy, investment banking and innovation advisory across lifesciences – pharma, biotech, medtech, delivery, animal health, agribusiness and food. I lead the healthcare practice and advice large companies, institutions and young innovative ventures on various aspects of market entry, organic and inorganic growth, access to capital and innovation adoption/commercialization.

We continue to nurture a truly differentiated practice where we view the business and innovation aspects in one lens, very critical for the lifesciences industry but very rare in the Indian context. We are today preferred advisors for the largest pharma and biotech companies, medical devices companies, hosptials as well as policymakers.

prices and healthcare access issues.

However, there are also two other critical issues that often go under discussed – negligible innovation backbone in the country, especially in more complex Class III devices and continuing commercial issues that impact the business case. While a strong pipeline of Class I and some Class II innovation has been triggered in the country over the last decade, it is critical we create high end translational platforms and seed domestic innovation capacity to create a sustainable ecosystem. Skill building needs to focus on convergent nature of medtech innovation and cover biomedical engineering, basic sciences, regulatory and clinical expertise et al.

Further, it is also important to foster market maturity, create market access pathways for adoption of indigenously developed devices in public health and transparent pricing mechanisms in private markets. Issues currently impacting commercial attractiveness are address the business case for domestic manufacturing is more robust. There are still cases where inverted duty structure exists. The country has to address these challenges before any space in the medtech parks can be meaningfully filled in a way that it addresses India’s need in complex devices and creates economic value in the long term.

Shed some light upon Implants and Biomedical Industry in India: Reshaping the Future and Describe your personality?

Developing Skilled Workforce to I am intellectually curious, cherish take on New Challenges”? learning something new everyday and The medical devices landscape in India is quite complex and the same is true of implants as well. There is a high level of import dependence and this often sighted a significant challenge leading to higher

am driven by professional impact I can have in my role. Personally, I take pride in being grounded and having gratitude for the opportunities so far in my life 

w w w.medegatetoday.com May 2018

23

COVER STORY

Gadget addiction makes your child medically weak!

Children sit in a slouching position for hours altogether, causing discomfort to their back and spine, even affecting their posture. Swiping continuously on a screen obviously does not give them the required dexterity in the fingers or arm muscles.

Further, the limited or non-existent outdoor activity robs them of the optimum vitamin and calcium levels.

Dr. Sadiya Vanjara a renowned Physiotherapist in western region completed 18 Years of excellence in the world of Physiotherapy And the journey has been extremely gratifying.

Received the “BEST PHYSIOTHERAPIST IN MUMBAI AWARD” in Aug 2014, 4th MT INDIA HEALTHCARE AWARDS, Delhi.

Physiotherapy is indeed considered as, but not limited to, supplementary & post operative care. It is also the most widely used & clinically proven method as a Preventive Measure in multiple and most common medical areas like Orthopedic, Musculo-Skeletal, Cardio-Vascular, Neurological, Sports & Geriatric, to name a few.

What are the major challenges and your expectation from Govt. and health ministry?

The biggest challenge I face as a Physiotherapist is to convince my patients that Physiotherapy is safe. It is sad how this field has still not gained the respect & regard it deserves, let alone credit & applause.

As the saying goes, ‘Saving a life is Victory. Rehabilitating...GLORY!’ I hope & wish that the health ministry re-considers the same and re-evaluates this profession’s position in the society.

24

www.m e d e g a t e t o d a y. co m May 2018

Dr. Sadiya Vanjara HOD, PHYSIOTHERAPY DEPT, NOOR HOSPITAL, MUMBAI. CEO & OWNER AT ‘SPARSH 4.0’ HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS.

COVER STORY

Technological advancement has taken the world by storm and we humans have become slaves to it. So much so, that it has kids as old as 3 years of age eating out of its hands.

By this, we mean the usage of the latest gadgets in the market like smartphones, tablets, et al.

This habit is having an adverse effect on children’s health, as doctors have started pointing out that small children queue up outside their clinics complaining of back pain, eye problems, etc., triggered by the excessive use of gadgets.

Recurrent use of tablets, mobile phones and hand-held games, are the primary cause behind the rise of muscoskeletal problems in children.

Spoke to Dr. Sadiya Vanjara, who heads the department of physiotherapy and pain management at Noor Hospital, who said that there has been an alarming increase in the incidence of pain in the neck, shoulder, swelling of muscles from holding gadgets and even inability to sit and write for long hours among children.

The average hours children clock up slouching endlessly over gadgets totals up to six hours or more per day. These statistics can present a good idea of the extent to which their health is taking a wrong turn. Furthermore, by whiling away so much time on gadgets, children lose the time they can spend outdoors and their physical activity becomes nil.

Five medical risks your child faces: Obesity

This is the worst thing to happen to your child. Reduced physical activity, courtesy the hours spent bending over those gadgets may result in your child becoming overweight, which predisposes them to various lifestyle diseases like diabetes and hypertension.

Mind

Cognitive development of children can slow down due to overuse of gadgets, causing attention deficit disorder. It may also hamper physical development and impair social skills.

Eyes

Excessive us of gadgets can cause blurry or double vision, redness, dry eye syndrome, etc. Therefore, immediate measures need to be ensured in their lifestyle in order to avoid such problems.

Back and spine

Neck, back and shoulder pain along with posture problems are the primary concerns for children who resort to excessive gadget use..

Due to this, children are also predisposed to get spondylitis at an early stage in life.

Sleep

Sleeping late or sleeping less is normally a given when gadgets are overused. Sleep deprivation can cause anxiety, increased hyperactivity and other behavioural issues.

w w w.medegatetoday.com May 2018

25

COVER STORY

The Padma Awardee & Neonatologist

Prof. (Dr). Neelam Kler Department of Neonatology, Institute of Child Health Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi-110060

26

www.m e d e g a t e t o d a y. co m May 2018

I am a neonatologist probably many people in India will not know what a neonatologist is? Let me tell you my story…..

Becoming a Doctor was my dream from early childhood, which was nurtured by my parents. When I first started thinking of medicine, I had no clue as to what a Neonatologist is … (by the way a Neonatologist is a physician who looks after newborn babies).

During my final year of med school, I was posted in a remote hilly town Kishatwar (district in J&K on Pakistan border) that had very poor roads. This was a community hospital. One fine day, I was asked by the chief medical officer to accompany the head nurse to visit a woman in advanced labor in a village. After reaching there, we found a young woman in great pain. We assisted her in delivering the baby boy who could not breathe at birth because of long difficult labor. I tried reviving the baby but could not. As a young medical student that was my first experience to resuscitate an asphyxiated baby and I failed.

Looking back, I think that was the day that saving babies became my passion, my mission and my life’s work.

Saving that tiny baby gave me courage to question– Why should we lose so many new born babies? Even today, with all the advances in modern science, every year close to .7 million babies before they complete their first month die in India! Many of these deaths are avoidable with quality care I returned back to India in the year 1988 after my training as a Neonatologist while my husband was still working in UK. I had been offered a job by the Sir Gangaram Hospital for developing neonatal intensive care services, which was nonexistent at that time. I had a home to run, and a family to manage, and here I was questioning the existing well-established pediatric system of the hospital. The task of balancing work, of creating Neonatal Intensive Care services from scratch, and managing my two little boys was like running a marathon race.

Today when I look back, I know it would not have been

COVER STORY

possible to achieve it without the support of my family.

My parents looked after my home and my children when I was away saving babies night after night. My mother always said, “You take care of your work and I will take care of the rest”. I think she always saw my success as her own achievement. My husband, a busy interventional cardiologist himself, not only supported me full heartedly but encouraged me to fulfill my dreams.

My colleagues, who had faith and trust in me, and put in endless effort and hard work,. Together, we built a Neonatal centre of excellence, equipped with the latest technology to save the tiniest premature babies. We were able to improve the survival of the tiniest baby and establish credibility among our fellow pediatricians. We started getting large number of very small and very sick babies from different parts of the country. They often came, cold and very unstable. These kids either died soon after arrival or if survived would suffer a disability.

We understood the importance of safe and stable transport of sick babies and the need for “Neonatal emergency transport program’. We established excellent transport services with the best transport equipment, trained our teams in providing safe and stable transport from the point of reference till they reach our hospital NICU. I cannot forget this one of the air lifted an extremely sick, six-hour old baby from Amritsar who was severely asphyxiated .At that time it looked almost impossible. Today that baby is an eighteen-year-old in class 12 who wants to become a pilot and run a fleet of air ambulances. This was a tribute to the nameless baby I lost in Kishtwar Considering India is a large country with close to 65% population living in villages, Desert or hilly areas, babies born in small community hospitals or at home with poor access to intensive care units, there is a need for an accredited program in emergency pediatric and neonatal transport, to train more number of doctors in transport medicine and have more capable teams for safe transport of sick babies.

I realized at that point that to save more babies, we need much larger number of trained Neonatologists and many more neonatal units. There was an urgent need to start a post doctoral program to develop Neonatal medicine and take things to larger scale. We needed a lot of canvassing from our friends and other academic institutes to develop such a program. We were fortunate to start an excellent research and Academic Program in neonatology in year 2000 under National board of education. At present large number of institutes have this program training large number of young neonatologists who have established new born ICU’s all over country saving lives.

In the same year, 2000 Millennium development goals were defined with the aim of addressing poverty hunger, education, women empowerment and health by 2015. This was an important mile stone for creating a better world.

MDG 4 for child survival focused on preventing deaths in the first month of life. At that time, four million children died in the first month of life, and a million of them were in India alone. As expected, most of these were among the poor families living in rural areas. Clearly there was a need to step out of the comforts of my Newborn ICU in a large hospital in New Delhi, and contribute to saving newborns lives in the remote, rural areas of the country. National Neonatal Forum is a strong organization with members from diversified fields like newborn health, child health, obstetrics public health, social sciences and industry. As president of this organization it provided wings to my resolve to contribute to saving newborn lives across India.

Many hospitals and individuals joined the cause and now we have a large network of organizations, individuals and hospitals that support in ending the preventable deaths among newborns. These 10 years were phenomenal and huge learning for me widening my horizon. In year 2014 I was awarded PADMA BHUSHAN by president of India and this was most proud moment in my life.

My personal journeys to work on some of the social issues continues like fighting for equitable access to quality services, and empowering women in some of the most underserved areas: last few years I am mentoring Basic HealthCare Services, and organization that provides high quality, low cost healthcare services to the last mile tribal communities in Rajasthan. All the while, I continue to engage myself in cutting edge research and health services: initiative with access in partnership with Indian school of business at Hyderabad, Institute of health improvement Massachusetts a collaboration of 6 NICU in reduction of Health care associated infections and multidrug antibiotic resistance in new born.

Partnership with Public health foundation of India (PHFI) to study ill effects of environment pollution on fetus and new born creating awareness through media and other agencies. On similar lines I am working with ladies ASOCHAM and PHFI, on tobacco cessation and its ill effects on fetus.And yes continuing my role as neonatal intensivist in my institute doing my bit every day saving more babies. I learnt a very important lesson that day. “If you are well prepared, you will be more confident and make fewer mistakes in life”. This is my journey and let me admit I have shared with you very honestly.

w w w.medegatetoday.com May 2018

27

COVER STORY

The New Vistas in Home Healthcare Business

I wish to make non-hospital healthcare easily accessible and affordable to people. I wish to empower the user with adequate knowledge so that they can make an informed choice

P

ortea Medical (www.portea.com) is India’s leading consumer healthcare provider and focuses on general primary health care, post-hospitalization care, chronic disease management and allied services. The company offers home visits from doctors, nurses, nursing attendants and physiotherapists. In addition, Portea also provides collection of lab samples and offers medical equipment for sale / on hire, as well as patient assistance programmes for chronic disease management, bringing the entire gamut of healthcare services to a patient’s doorstep. Since inception in 2013, Portea has completed more than 2.5 million patient visits across the country.

The company manages ~ 120,000+ patient visits each month.

Describe your journey as a Women Leader into Healthcare sector?

Started my career in 1985 after graduating from IIM Calcutta. First 7 years were with NIIT, then PWC followed by Microsoft India, where I lead multiple business units for the India business. In 2000, I co-founded one of India’s first BPO companies, Customer Asset. After selling the business to ICICI, I went on to be the founding CEO of Tesco’s offshore shared service center here in India. At Tesco, was part of the global leadership team of 40, one of the 4 women, and the only Indian. In 2008, as a co-founder of Tutorvista, set up the India business, which grew to include digital education solutions for 1000s of schools, managing and running 35 schools and 100 post school tutorial centers. After Pearson (world’s leading education company) acquired Tutorvista, created a platform called Growthstory, to promote companies across multiple opportunities at the cross-section of technology and consumer. The portfolio includes nearly a dozen companies such as Big Basket, Bluestone, Freshmenu, Housejoy etc. Of the portfolio, as co-founder and CEO, I run Portea Medical, a consumer healthcare services company.

Meena Ganesh

MD & CEO, Portea Medical 28

www.m e d e g a t e t o d a y. co m May 2018

I wish to make non-hospital healthcare easily accessible and affordable to people. I wish to empower the user with adequate knowledge so that they can make an informed choice. The four customer segments we cater to are primary care, chronic care, elderly care and post hospitalization.

COVER STORY

How idea of home healthcare business came into your mind?

We established the business in 2013. The opportunity to build a consumer healthcare business was driven by a few factors -  While you have a few hospitals in most cities that are world class, healthcare beyond these hospitals is broken;  There is a large Indian population that needs healthcare, and a growing population of elderly (By 2025, one in every five Indians will be a senior citizen); C hronic issues (which already account for 53% of the deaths in India) are already on the rise. The focus of medical resources is also seeing a shift from communicable diseases to lifestyle diseases;  With increasing urbanization, currently about 50 per cent of spending on in-patient beds is for lifestyle diseases, increasing demand for lifestyle care.  In addition, people are living longer. Modern medicine has enabled earlier disease detection, and therefore, longer years of disease management is required;  According to the United Nations Population Fund, the number of over-60s in India will increase from around 100 million in 2011 to more than 300 million by 2050. The number of over80s will increase sevenfold in the same period. Two-thirds of India’s 100 million people over 60 suffered a chronic ailment in 2011. That number is expected to increase to more than 200 million by 2050.

There is a growing expectation among Indians, that like other things, healthcare, too, should be made more affordable and easily available. Home healthcare in India and more specifically, consumer-centric healthcare, is an idea whose time has come and there is an opportunity to take healthcare to people’s doorsteps.

I had also realized, through my own personal experience, that there was a genuine dearth of options for quality medical care at home in India and the time was ripe to establish Portea.

Portea aims to be the partner of choice for both our patients and their families on their healthcare journey. The Portea approach is focused on Care with Compassion. All of us at Portea have the opportunity, individually and collectively, to positively impact thousands of lives every day by bringing support and relief to patients and their family members. We want to fundamentally alter how healthcare is being consumed in the country.

Why do you think you will be successful in this role as a woman in home healthcare business?

I am proud to work with an excellent team and committed investors and partners. Collaboratively, we have managed to build Portea to where it is today. There is lot more for me to contribute in the future too. Right now with Portea, the difference that we make in the lives of elderly, giving them an opportunity to live their life in their place of choice, with good control over their health, feels great. Making healthcare more accessible to

people and giving the consumer a greater say in their healthcare decisions is our ambition and I am glad we are making great strides in this direction.

What are the latest challenges in home healthcare sector?

As in most sectors too, challenges centre on the evolving customer and dovetailing the entire organization to be customer-focussed in everything we do. The healthcare consumer in India is changing; consumers of healthcare today (Healthcare 2.0) are more aware and informed, they want to be engaged and participative, and are more discerning and value conscious. Healthcare delivery therefore has to be consumer-centric, and not clinician or provider-centric.

Being consumer-centric is not a typical attribute of the healthcare industry and requires a change in the frame of reference. Every metric needs to be geared to serving customers and bettering patient outcomes - not on maximizing the typical revenue-per-bed (a critical measure for hospitals in Healthcare 1.0).

What are your future plans to expand Home healthcare business?

As an early entrant we have leveraged the learnings to serve patients better by offering 360 degree comprehensive care.

When we started Portea, we thought of going with a set number of services. However, as we started to work with patients, we realized that they wanted us to be a one-stop-shop for all their needs.

For example, right from helping a person who needs surgery make a decision (via our company, PS Take Care), to a wide range of services offerings for post-operative care, such as doctors, nurses, nursing attendants, diagnostics, pharma or medical equipment support, Portea provides it all. For instance, if someone has had a knee replacement, they don’t just need a physiotherapist but also some equipment, a nurse to oversee their healing, and a nursing attendant to help them become mobile. This is where offering a comprehensive solutions helps. Our reliance on technology and the wide ranging partnerships we have ensure patients get the convenience and care they need.

This is a very high touch service industry and there is an ongoing for good-quality manpower. Thus, ensuring that there is adequate supply of manpower of the kind that you need, their training, and ability to provide service on a consistent basis to a large population of patients is a big challenge for the industry.

So we’ve spent a lot of time and effort in determining where we can get some such people, what kind of training would be ideal, what are the protocols they should be using, what kind of monitoring we should do, and how do we use technology to ensure that there is consistent delivery. We have done a lot of work to ensure that the customer experience and patient management is of the topmost quality.

We have also become more specialized around some specific areas such as oncology, neurology, geriatric care, dementia etc.

We have now created very detailed solutions and that really helps the patient to get end to end care from one partner  w w w.medegatetoday.com May 2018

29

COVER A Significant Contribution STORY

towards Eye Care Solution

Saving Sight with Courage and Compassion:

Dr Vidushi Sharma Pandey- Dynamic Eye Surgeon and Trendsetter from a Non-metro City

Dr Vidushi Sharma Pandey MD (AIIMS, NEW DELHI), FRCS (UK) Director, SuVi Eye Institute & Lasik Laser Center C 13 Talwandi, KOTA, Rajasthan

Tell us about your career into healthcare as an ophthalmologist?

A career as an ophthalmologist (eye specialist) is extremely rewarding, and is especially useful for women wanting to maintain a work life and work family balance. Ophthalmology offers the adrenalin rush associated with performing delicate sight restoring surgeries, yet you do not deal with stressful life and death situations. It is also possible to do predominantly medical ophthalmology or Medical Retina etc., so it is suitable for everyone. In my own case, I have been lucky that I have received my training from the best medical institute in India and overseas and our medical practice in Kota in the field of ophthalmology has been successful in every way. It is not just satisfying in terms of work satisfaction and rewards, but it has also given me a platform to engage in various fora and make my own contributions to helping the doctor-patient relationship. I have spoken at the Indian Medical Association (IMA) meetings, national and international ophthalmology conferences and other organizations. I have also contributed articles in the scientific journals as well as in the local press and I utilized many opportunities to try and improve and strengthen doctor patient relationship as far as possible, which has been a very rewarding experience.

30

www.m e d e g a t e t o d a y. co m May 2018

My Formula for success in Medical Field is “Competent Care with Compassion”. Nothing in this world can take the place of Dedication, Determination and Diligence to achieve success.

As someone said- Talent alone will not get you success: nothing is more common than unsuccessful person with talent. Genius will also not get you success; “unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will also not get you there: the world is full of educated derelicts.

Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success in any field”.

Elaborate as a women leader & Entrepreneurship in the Ophthalmology and Overcoming Challenges?

Many patients have a certain mindset about women doctors.

While they may trust you more, and also consider you to have more empathy, some patients may feel that female doctors are surgically not as competent. If you have an extremely hard working and ambitious husband (and in the same specialty like me), it often becomes even more difficult to carve a distinct identity for yourself, and this has been my biggest challenge.

Luckily for me, I have had an excellent training in ophthalmology from the prestigious Dr. R. P. Center for ophthalmic sciences, AIIMS, New Delhi and Sydney Eye Hospital, University of Sydney, Australia where I have been trained in oculopastic surgery, pediatric ophthalmology, etc. This ensured that I do a good variety of ophthalmic surgeries – not just cataractlens implant surgery, but also Lasik Laser Refractive Surgery, oculoplastic surgery, glaucoma surgery, squint surgery, routine and complex ocular trauma and so on, which are not done by most ophthalmologists and this helped me to carve a distinct identity for myself.

As an entrepreneur, the most difficult thing is human resource management, just like in most other fields, and I have been lucky that we have been able to find and develop an outstanding team, which has made a huge difference to the smooth working of the SuVi Eye hospital, having good relations with our patients.

COVER STORY

As a director SuVi Eye Hospital what are the initiative taken by you for the women empowerment into healthcare?

Women empowerment into healthcare is a bit of a loaded term, and I would be vain to think that I can make a significant contribution towards that single-handedly. However, currently there are many efforts to ensure that women health care professionals form their own groups to get good mentoring and ensure their career progress. The Indian Medical association (IMA) is coming up with women wings in all states, and subspecialties are also forming women societies, like the Women in Ophthalmology Society, which has affiliated chapters like the Women Ophthalmologists’ Society (WOS) in India. I am happy to be a part of these initiatives, which provide women doctors with tools and opportunities to advance their professional growth. Wider interaction among women colleagues is a great inspiration to motivate young doctors.

Also, among the staff working at SuVi Eye Hospital in Kota, I have always tried to ensure that we have a sympathetic attitude towards the genuine problems faced by women, and ensure that their male colleagues also understand the importance of giving slightly more space to women.

Based on my experience of an ophthalmic entrepreneur, I have also conducted a few sessions for young ophthalmologists (including women) about career options, challenges for women ophthalmologists and such other topics, and also written articles, and made YouTube videos on these topics. It has been my honour that after seeing my videos, women have written to me to seek guidance about their careers, and my privilege that I have helped and counseled them to the extent possible.

What are the Salient Feature of your Hospital SuVi Eye and Your journey as Entrepreneur to Establish this Practice?

After returning from overseas, I together with my spouse (Dr. Suresh K. Pandey) started ophthalmic practice with little money and tried to set up SuVi Eye Institute, in Kota (Rajasthan) in rented premises on February 5, 2006. Within few years, we built a new building of SuVi Eye Hospital having all latest gadgets.

We started with auto-refractometer, operating microscope and a phacoemulsifcation machine. Initially our O.P.D. was 5-10 patients per day. Within one year, good word spread about our work and patient numbers increased slowly and gradually to 100-120 patients per day and now we see approximately 250 patients everyday and perform 8 to 10 laser/major and minor eye surgeries per day. So far, our team have done more than 50,000 successful eye surgeries and laser procedures with very high success rate and about 2000 eye surgery free of cost to the needy patients. Now SuVi Eye Hospital has “World Class Eye Surgery Facilities” including Visx Lasik Laser Machine (for freedom from glasses), Signature Phacoemulsification machine/Zepto Cataract Surgery system (Phacoemulsification or suture-less cataract surgery ), Zeiss Lumera operating surgical microscope

and DORC Eva phaco vitrectomy machine (for suture-less vitreoretinal surgery), Oculus Pentacam (for diagnosis of corneal disorders), Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), Specular Microscope, IOL Master (for lens power calculation), Retinal Green Laser and Fundus Fluorescein Angiography (FFA), and several other valuable diagnostic and surgical equipments to treat all routine and complex eye problems. Now we have a team 4 full-time competent doctors (Dr. Suresh K. Pandey, Dr. Nipun Bagrecha, Dr. Satyendra Kumar Gupta and myself), one visiting retinal doctor (Dr. Abhiskhek Kothari) and total 40 staff members to help us in day to day activities of the hospital. My father (Late Gp. Capt. K.M. Sharma) was the force behind this vision, who inspired us to return to India from overseas and he also put in a lot of effort for staff training and human resource management at our hospital. Our Hospital, SuVi Eye Institute and Lasik Laser Center provides complete eye care services in all sub-specialties, with all latest diagnostic and therapeutic modalities in the Tier two city of Kota (Rajasthan) by the best trained doctors. We pride ourselves on having a patient friendly atmosphere and immensely value the enormous support and trust that we have received from our patients. Several doctors (ophthalmologists trainees and observers from India and abroad) have visited Kota, India including from USA, Switzerland, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan and Iraq to observe our model of private practice.

Why you chosen Kota for your hospital?

While it would be tempting to give a clichéd answer like “we wanted to come back to our roots and serve our own people’, which of course is true; the bigger reason is that it makes much more sense to settle down in Tier two cities in India today. Even while I was pursuing further training overseas, and my juniors asked me about future prospects, I always encouraged them to settle down in these non-metro cities, as it is less expensive to establish and faster to build up a medical practice in these cities. The family contacts provide the initial patient base, and good services provide word of mouth publicity, which is very effective in these non-metro cities. Life is more relaxed, you do not have to travel large distances, and can use your time more productively.

Dr. Vidushi Sharma Pandey & Dr. Suresh K. Pandey performing state-of-the art refractive eye surgery at SuVi Eye Institute, Kota (Rajasthan). w w w.medegatetoday.com May 2018

31

COVER STORY

Please let us know about your social work for needy people?

At our hospital, we have always tried to provide the best services to all patients, irrespective of their paying capacity. I consider it an achievement that in spite of providing cutting-edge high end surgery like micro-incision cataract surgery and premium IOLs, refractive surgery etc., we have also been able to provide equal quality of service to all our patients, and have a wide spectrum of patients from all kinds of socio-economic background. We have also organized many free OPD check-up camps, where patients are provided free follow-up and necessary investigations in the hospital, and have seen more than 70,000 patients in these camps. Apart from this, we have also done free surgery for needy patients. I am humbled and honoured to get “Women of the Year Zonal Award” by Chief minister of Rajasthan Smt. Vasundhara Raje. Govt. of Raasthan felicitated myself and my husband (Dr. Suresh K. Pandey) for doing significant work in the field of ophthalmology and elimination of preventable blindness.

Some realize that they would do well in non-clinical branches, and some others decide they would want to change their field altogether. Assess your priorities and desires, and take an informed decision, as you can’t keep changing these decisions.

The most important thing is to decide on your own definition of success, and then stick to it, so that you are not just successful, but also truly happy.

Kindly give us your own quote about life/ motivation/success

My Formula for success in Medical Field is “Competent Care with Compassion”. Nothing in this world can take the place of Dedication, Determination and Diligence to achieve success.

“As Someone said” Talent alone will not get you success: nothing is more common than unsuccessful person with talent. Genius will also not get you success; As someone said “unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will also not get you there: the world is full of educated derelicts. Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success in any field”.

Please let us know about your book for Coaching Students?

During the course of my practice in Kota, I interacted with a lot of coaching students who visited me for their eye problems.

Many of them were interested in talking to me, specially the Medical aspirants, as I have done M.B.B.S. from AIIMS, New Delhi, which is still on the top of the list for most of these students. I also observed that a lot of students are from small towns and cities and are not as confident as their counterparts from bigger cities. For this reason, I wrote a book in Hindi for coaching students, as well as other youngsters from not so privileged backgrounds. The book is titled “Meri Kitab, Meri Dost” and engages in a friendly conversation with the reader.

It is an attempt to help them make a more positive mindset, so that they give in their best efforts, and also remain happy in all situations in life.

What would be your advice to young doctors, specially women doctors?

My first advice to young doctors would be to focus on getting the best possible training at the earliest opportunity. This is even more important for women, as it becomes very difficult to devote time to full time rigorous medical training programmes at a later stage in life, particularly after marriage and kids. At an early age, it is possible to travel far and wide for the best training opportunities, specially in surgical disciplines. Medical practice is not easy because of heightened patient expectations and an aggressive consumer culture that is spreading fast. In such a scenario, it is absolutely essential to get the best possible clinical training, so that our competence is our big strength when starting clinical practice.

I would also like to advise young doctors to choose their work based on their own personality and preferences. Some people are very good at communication and interpersonal relations and therefore do well in private practice. Some other people are interested in teaching, and do well in an academic setting.

32

www.m e d e g a t e t o d a y. co m May 2018

Dr. Vidushi Sharma Pandey getting Award by Home Minister of Rajasthan for her significant work in Elimination of Blindness

Dr. Vidushi Sharma Pandey Receiving Women of the Year Zonal Award from Smt. Vasudhara Raje Chief Minister of Rajasthan

COVER STORY

A paediatrician from India and

a globally recognized researcher Dr. Soumya Swaminathan 

T

Dr Soumya Swaminathan

he World Health Organization (WHO) appointed Soumya Swaminathan one of two deputy directors general, the first time such a post has been ever created within the organisation. The position is also the highest post held by an Indian in the WHO. Dr. Swaminathan is currently the Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Dr. Swaminathan has been appointed as Deputy Director General for Programmes and Ms. Jane Ellison, who was Special Parliamentary Adviser to the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, has been appointed as a Deputy Director General for Corporate Operations (DDC).

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan has been appointed Deputy Director General for Programmes (DDP). A paediatrician from India and a globally recognized researcher on tuberculosis and HIV, she brings with her 30 years of experience in clinical care and research and has worked throughout her career to translate research into impactful programmes. Most recently, Dr. Swaminathan was Secretary of the Department of Health Research and Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research. From 2009 to 2011, she also served as Coordinator of the UNICEF/UNDP/ World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) in Geneva. She has sat on several WHO and global advisory bodies and committees, including the WHO Expert Panel to Review Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property, the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group of the Global TB Department at WHO, and as Co-Chair of the Lancet Commission on TB. She received her academic training in India, the United Kingdom and the United States and has published more than 250 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters

Deputy Director General, at the World Health Organization (Geneva)

w w w.medegatetoday.com May 2018

33

COVER STORY

A Pediatrician Founder & Healthcare Leader Dr. Suversha Khanna President: Dharamshila Cancer Foundation and Research Centre Founder: Dharamshila Cancer Hospital and Research Centre

My journey from paediatrician to founder of Dharamshila Cancer Hospital And Research Centre, started in 1981 when my father was diagnosed with Adenocarcinoma of the Prostate with Bony Metastasis. There was total lack of desired Cancer Care facilities in the North India.

All I heard from every Medical professional was that nothing could be done for him except making him comfortable, because he had very little time left. No one was even willing to fix up his Intertrochanteric fracture in the leg and relieve his excruciating pain. I was fighting a long battle and put him on drug trials. In the entire span of 7 years, he was treated at home except 2 weeks of hospitalization. He finally died in 1988 (7years).

Concern about non-availability of comprehensive Cancer Care facilities under one roof, Negative attitude towards Cancer by Medical professionals, policy makers, public and a burning desire to change the cancer scene in India, made my resolve stronger.

I started dreaming of setting up Comprehensive Cancer Care Centre, This was a great challenge without financial backing, knowledge, skill and experience. The only strength that I had was:

34

www.m e d e g a t e t o d a y. co m May 2018

COVER STORY

RESOLVE to make cancer treatment available, accessible and affordable.  PASSION for cancer

 PURSUIT for excellence.  PERSISTANCE for achieving my objectives.  PERSEVERENCE for becoming leader in oncology  RISK taking ability.  STRONG support, Guidance from Regional cancer centres, medical professionals and Delhities.

With support from the family and friends, we registered a NGO Dharamshila Cancer Foundation And Research Centre in 1990.

It was a big challenge to travel roads less travelled, Traditional rules for setting up hospitals were not applicable. There was no defined model to follow, funds were inadequate, and the survival and success depended on our ability to be committed, creative, flexible and adaptable. We trusted our own instincts, set our own rules and embraced challenges. All this demanded risk taking of the strategic kind, where you step into untested waters, reflect upon your own core strengths and think of the needs and wants of the cancer patients and their attendants As we walked along these less travelled roads, our skills were further honed to take on the unexpected.

Two acres of land (8097 s.q.mets) was purchased from DDA in 1990 and 1st phase of the hospital was commissioned in 1994 with 100 beds; in the second phase, bed strength was increased to 300 and now we are about to start the third phase of the hospital.

What was the main objective and motive to start a Cancer care hospital in North India?  To decrease incidence of cancer and death rates;

improve cancer cure rates and quality of life.  To make cancer treatment available for patients of North India at their door steps by commissioning a comprehensive facilities of Cancer Prevention, Early Detection and Prompt Treatment. (Radiation, Surgery, Chemotherapy, Bone Marrow Transplants, Rehabilitation and Palliative Care) as per international guidelines to have best treatment outcomes.  To lull, up the gap between demands and supply because there was no Comprehensive Cancer Care and Research Centre with above mentioned facilities till 1994 in the entire North India.

what are the major challenges addressed for shortage of oncologists and expert nurses?

During our earlier years of operations, there was an acute shortage of trained oncologists, nurses and other support staff. Two years of advocacy with National Board of Examination for starting DNB programme in Medical Oncology paid dividends. Dharamshila Hospital And Research Centre was the first hospital of India, accredited by National Board of Examination (NBE) an Autonomous academic body, under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, to start the DNB programme in Medical Oncology, a full time 3 years doctorate Programme on 1st July 2001. We were also the first Hospital of India to start DNB program in Surgical oncology in 2004.

In 2010 we became India’s 2nd hospital, after Tata Memorial to start Post Basic Diploma in Oncology Nursing and will be starting a Nursing College and M.Sc. Nursing Oncology, shortly.

Collaboration with Narayana?

The hospital was growing and required professional Management by a young team plus addition of other superspecialities to provide holistic health care. We started looking for Healthcare organizations who had the same philosophy like ours i.e. high ethics, transparency, patient centric approach with affordable treatment. Therefore we collaborated with Narayana Health and have signed an “Operate and Manage contract” but ownership of the hospital is still with Dharamshila Cancer Foundational And Research Centre.

What is your Message for upcoming women entrepreneurs and leaders in healthcare?

Women of India have great potential for taking Healthcare, teaching, training and Medical Research to greater heights. All they need is risk taking capabilities, passion for healthcare, persistence to achieve their objectives and perseverance to improve the image of medical community.

There is still a great demand for Holistic Healthcare in tier 2 cities and rural areas. Name of the entire Medical community and Medical Institutions is being maligned due to mistake being committed by few doctors, Healthcare organizations and wrong policies of the Government. So my message is very loud and clear, we have to get back to our original image of providing compassionate patient centric services with transparency and improving our communication skills  w w w.medegatetoday.com May 2018

35

COVER STORY

Moving from illness to wellnessan important goals to C4 children’s mind and body, helps analysis and diagnosis the problems they face. An example would be: Anger, Cough, Cold, Anxiety, Concentration, Fever, mind (mood) swings, Skin Infections. These are common symptoms of sickness which children have at some or the other point in their life. However, these are not only psychological or physiological based symptoms.

We need to design some basic structure and change our childrens lifestyle.

Breathing & Exercise:

Dr. Shilpa Desai

Managing Director, C4 Integrated Wellness Pvt. Ltd.

Is Medication The Solution For Children?

Saving our earth we must try and look into the sustainability of humans in the existing environmental conditions which are conducive to providing a healthy lifestyle to children who are in the developmental stages and preparing them to acclimatize in the future.

When we talk about vitality, nature is the only option we have. We need to use preventive measures in our daily life. For decades, medication has helped us to treat and fix the symptoms of diseases. Although treatment offers a quick fix, it is only a short-term, limited solution to a complex multifaceted problem. Medication only cures some symptoms temporarily and does not actually get to the root of the problem.

After discontinuing medications, the symptoms tend to re–appear and health deteriorates again. Drug therapy is effective over prolonged use; however, this comes with its share of side effects.

Psycho – Physiological aspect helps us understand the cognitive process of 36

www.m e d e g a t e t o d a y. co m May 2018

Breathing, so vital to life, occurs automatically without us even thinking about it. It is the only way that the cells in the body receive oxygen by itself, vital for converting sugar and other food products into energy. The parts (organs) of the respiratory system – the nose, throat, larynx, bronchi and lungs, are designed to get the maximum amount of O2 out of the air and into the blood stream.

Breathing is a prime factor to live and vitally very important for all other functions of the body and definitely growth. Healthy respiration can lead to a healthy future.

Nutrition: “Nature can be defined as a drugless, noninvasive, rational and evidence based system of medicine imparting treatments with natural elements based on the theory of vitality, theory of toxemia, theory of self-healing capacity of the body and the principles of healthy living.”

The main difference between naturopathic and conventional medicine is in the philosophic approach. Naturopathic physicians claim to treat patients by restoring the overall health rather than suppressing a few key symptoms.

Naturopathic physicians are more concerned with finding the underlying cause of a condition and applying treatments that work in alliance with the natural.

Increasing prevalence of allergic diseases in childhood in the last decades could be linked to concomitant dietary changes, especially with the modified and lower consumption of fruit, vegetables and minerals.

Foods that can prevent the development of wheezing through their antioxidant effects contain vitamin C and selenium; blood levels of these elements correlate negatively with the risk of wheezing.

Intake of vitamin E during pregnancy also appears to be correlated with a reduced risk of wheezing for the unborn child. Similarly, low intake of zinc and carotenoids by pregnant women is associated with an increased risk of wheezing and asthma in childhood. Fiber also has anti-inflammatory properties and protective effects against allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis and asthma.

The consumption of fat influences the development of the airways. Populations in Western countries have increased their consumption of n-6 PUFAs and, in parallel, reduced n-3 PUFAs. This has led to decreased production of PGE2, which is believed to have a protective effect against inflammation of the airways.

Conflicting hypotheses also concern vitamin D; both an excess and a deficiency of vitamin D, in fact, have been associated with an increased risk of asthma. Further studies on the role of these substances are necessary before any conclusions can be drawn on a clinical level.

Path of Nature  Blending of Human with Nature  Basic Principles – Elimination, Accumulation and Cures within.

School children have been affected by their poor lifestyle and whose effects are seen on their Psycho – Physiological development. When they are in their crucial age of development, adaptation and adjustment with environment, short term solution and using pharmaceutical drugs for very common infection and

COVER STORY

problems like headache, cold, leg pain, body pain, mood swings, nutrition deficiency, is general, but in spite of their relative effectiveness its ideal i.e. Natural lifestyle to support a drugless lifestyle.

Visionary and Enthusiastic, Dr. Shilpa Desai is the first renowned Health Psychologist in India. She is an expert of Lifestyle Management by Complete Concept of Mind, Body and Soul.

She is the CEO and Founder of “C4 Integrated Wellness”. She has won an Award for the Best Research in France for her study on Global Warming and lifestyle expertise for our future.

“C4 Integrated Wellness” has state of the art centers in Juhu and Cuffe Parade.

“C4 Integrated Wellness” is a  Multi-Discipline Regenerative Medicine  Pain Management,  Anti-Ageing Facility,  Sports Medicine,  Non-surgical,  Drugless & Fitness Management C4 Integrated Wellness has a team of Professionals. They use the latest Medical & Health Technology and deliver cutting edge treatment for joint pain, neuropathy, spinal disorder and weight loss.

Come and try us out today and avail of great discounts!

From Illness to Wellness with the 3 D’s!

India is a country with a huge population of the younger generation. The chief concern is in later years what the health of this generation will be when it is inflamed with diseases like obesity, diabetes, Hypertension, etc.

The World Health Organizations (WHO) stated in 2016 that around 200 million children will fail to reach their potential in both cognitive and social development. This is an alarming call and one which must be counter measured with a preventive project which should have awareness programs implemented in every school, college and social organisations.

With the advent of technology and online global education facilities available to us we are in a better place to be able to have these preventive

measures which will enable all to have a healthier and pain free long life.

I would like to highlight some of the life style diseases that have the highest incidence due to the lifestyle we lead.

Diabetes:

Diabetes is one of the leading diseases today due to our lifestyle and the 3D approach is to be undertaken to achieve good results even in type 2 Diabetes. The 3 D approach is Discipline, Dedication and Desire.

Per statics obtained from World Health organization, by 2021 India’s population will hit the highest in obesity, which contributes directly to the development of type 2 diabetes. Coupled with lack of physical activity, stress, unhealthy nutrition and urbanisation, this can only get worse.

Heart Disease:

Though heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in India, it does not mean you have to accept it as fate.

Avoidance of heart problems can start today with a healthy life style.

Here are some preventive tips to help you get started.

A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains can help protect your heart. Aim to eat beans, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, lean meats, and fish as part of healthy diet. Avoid too much salt & sugars in your diet. Maintain a healthy weight, Get enough quality sleep, Manage stress & Get regular health screenings

Mental Disorders: The National Institute of Mental Illness defines mental illness as a condition that impacts a person’s thinking, feeling or mood and may affect his or her ability to relate to others and function on a daily basis.

Accordingly, World Health Organization, (WHO) and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), states that mental disorders are generally characterized by mood, combination of abnormal thoughts, emotions, behaviour & relationship with others.

There are different types of mental illnesses: Depression, Schizophrenia, Bipolar affective disorder, Dementia, Intellectual Disabilities, and developmental disorders like Autism.

However, the prevalence of mental disorders in India is less when compared to the Western countries because of genetic reasons, life-style, cultural factors and good family support.

Pain Management:

Whether your pain is from arthritis, cancer treatments, fibromyalgia, or an old injury, you need to find a way to get your pain under control. What is the best approach?

The first step in pain management is to schedule an appointment with the doctor to determine the cause of your pain and to learn which pain management approach would be the most effective for your illness. There are many different pain management options available and you need to find the right treatment combination to get the relief you need.

Scheman stresses the importance of approaching pain both physically & emotionally and addressing “people as entire human beings.” So, while chronic pain medication can be effective and important for pain management it should not be the only tool available when it comes to pain treatment.

Rather a variety of approaches and modalities can help you deal with both the physical and emotional parts of pain. Platelet Rich Plasma, Meditation, Relaxation techniques, Biofeedback, which teaches control over muscle tension, heart rate and more are a combination of treatments that can help alleviate pain.

Weight Gain and Loss: Both weight gain and weight loss is mainly about how we consume food.

Again here the 3D approach will help.

Desire, Discipline and Dedication All these different illnesses can be treated and reversed easily and systematically if we take care of our health and nutrition and undergo a change in our lifestyle.

The need of the hour is to ACT now and PREVENT our children from destroying their health.

Let us together work on the “I” and make a better “WE” so that we start teaching healthy habits now to our children so that the new generation of leaders will be healthier and stronger than ever before….That is my wish for a bright more healthier India. w w w.medegatetoday.com May 2018

37

COVER STORY

Pioneering initiatives have completely transformed the state of healthcare in the field of liver transplant I dedicated my heart and soul to this cause and eventually we became the pioneers in liver transplant, As women liver transplant physician, few female physicians are into this.

How you are seeing this as a challenge?

Dr Neelam Mohan

Director - Paediatric Gastroenterology & Hepatology Institute of Digestive and Hepatobiliary Sciences, Medanta – The Medicity

Tell us about your journey so far?

During the late 90s, there was no good training program in pediatric gastroenterology & hepatology in India. After my initial training in AIIMS in Pediatric Gastroenterology I left for training in liver Transplant in Birmingham Children’s Hospital , UK (1997-1999) Nothing comes easy – I would do double shift of work in UK, as a ‘Clinical fellow’ during the day from 8to 5pm and ‘Research fellow’ from 5:30 to 10:30 pm.

Finding a job back in India was an arduous task then as no one was interested in my precise domain. My relentless pursuit paid when I got my first break at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH). I dedicated my heart and soul to this cause and eventually we became the pioneers in liver transplant, at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital then moved to Medanta -The Medicity Hospital, Gurgaon in 2010 to create one of the finest centres in World with regards to health care delivery in liver diseases and liver transplants especially for Pediatric Liver Transplant. The journey was with a lot of struggles, hurdles and stress.

The recently there was not much awareness in country amongst doctors and public regarding liver transplants.

38

www.m e d e g a t e t o d a y. co m May 2018

I say this with a deep sense of contentment that in the last 2 decades, my pioneering initiatives have completely transformed the state of healthcare in the field of liver transplant, Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology in India. From that time, when this field was totally new in our country, today, India has the most sophisticated technical facilities and the highest standard of healthcare delivery in this domain to equate with the best in the world. I am humbled to say that, I created India’s first unit of pediatric gastroenterology, Hepatology and liver transplantation at Medanta where I became a part of a horizontal expansion and, we spread into various verticals besides liver transplantation and liver/ GI diseases such as motility, endoscopy, capsule endoscopy, manometry and diagnostic and curative work, making it the first such department in the country which provides comprehensive A to Z facilities for Newborns, Children and Adolescents with Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases including the highest level of liver care that is Liver Transplantation.

How one can understand there is need of liver transplant, the common symptoms and required tests?

The common symptoms when the liver fails is jaundice, low protein levels and coagulopathy (increased time for clot formation). In addition there could be ascites (fluid in tummy) vomiting of blood / pedal edema / severe itching. The tests include LFT, INR, USG Abdomen and +/- CT scan.

The liver could fail acutely as in acute viral hepatitis A, E, B infection, secondly to certain toxic drugs / viral illness. Common cause of chronic liver damages includes structural and metabolic abnormality in liver / fatty liver disease reassuring liver transplant in children.

What are the chances of survival/ success rates of liver transplants in kids; what are the kind of facilities needed for liver transplants in children.

Liver transplantation nowadays is a well accepted treatment option for end-stage

liver disease and acute liver failure with a 90 -96% success rate and near 90% long term survival in children.

The facilities that are needed for liver transplants in children are not completely similar to adults. The expertise of the pediatric hepatologist managing the patient before and after transplant is very essential.

There are several challenges especially in small babies requiring expertise in surgeon, anesthestist, intensivists, nursing care, physiotherapy and interventional radiologist.

They require more frequent monitoring.

Latest views, practice and future direction in liver diseases and transplantation.

Presently in India, predominantly LRLT are carried out. There is a desperate need to increase awareness of a organ donation.

The donor pool can be increased for pediatric liver transplant cases by using Split livers i.e. a single deceased (cadaveric) donor liver is divided into right and left portions that are implanted into two recipients simultaneously usually the right lobe in adults and left /left lateral lobe is given to children. Usually we do blood group compatible liver transplant.

However, our centre intiated Blood group incompatible liver transplants to increase donor poo and it vies equally good results.

In ABO incompatible liver transplants usually few sessions of plasmapheresis are carried out in the patient a week prior to the transplant. Another option of increasing the donor pool. is Swap donor which means when the same blood group donors are not available, the donors of 2 different patients with similar problem donate to each other. In a paired donor exchange, also known as a liver swap, two liver recipients essentially “swap” willing donors. While medically eligible to donate, each donor has an incompatible blood type or antigens to his or her intended recipient.

By agreeing to exchange recipients— giving the liver to an unknown, but compatible individual—the donors can provide two patients with healthy livers where previously no transplant would have been possible.

COVER STORY

My stint in the PMO has helped me understand programs of different social sector departments and coordinate with them to attain synergies in improving healthcare Health is a state subject, What are the challenges to sync with National programme?

While most programs have good support from the Center, sometimes the needs of the state do not align with national norms. So we have to adapt and modify our strategy accordingly.

What are the programme done by you for the better healthcare for your state ?

Dr. Pallavi Jain Govil

Health Commissioner, Directorate of Health Services, Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal

Please tell us about your family background and struggle period for becoming an IAS ?

My father was in public service and my mother was the daughter of a freedom fighter and a social worker. So I grew up in a family committed to development. My parents fully supported me in my aim to get higher education and study for the civil services examinations.

What are the challenges as a women Bureaucrats in general?

I think the biggest challenge is to do justice to both family and work. But this is now changing, with supportive spouses and families.

We have emphasised on improving our health care delivery at the last mile, by better HR management, training and capacity building. Our medicine Procurement and distribution system is now one of the best in the country. We have been recognised at the national level for the lowest out of pocket expenditures incurred in healthcare by our citizens, we have made good progress in reducing under 5 mortality in the state, our nutrition rehabilitation centres and child icus are the best in the country, our training institutions have been revamped and strengthened, vector disease incidence has gone down and our responses strengthened- the list can go on. Briefly, Team Health MP has made great strides in providing healthcare to all.

Please elaborate your scope and area of work? As you have worked in different domain, please let us know about experience in healthcare ?

I have a doctorate in public finance, and prior to this assignment, I have worked in the field of finance and investment. Using the approach of efficiency in public expenditures, I have been able to improve the outcomes from our programs.

w w w.medegatetoday.com May 2018

39

MEDICAL

4th INDIA’S LEADING B2B HOSPITAL EQUIPMENT EXHIBITION & CONFERENCE

MEDICAL EXPO

MEDICAL EXPO INDORE

Buyer

Matching!!

Seller

EXPO

RNI No. DELENG/2010/33833