wcrc-most-trusted-doctors-issue-august-2016

CMC VELLORE BELIEVES THAT THE DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP IS NOT THE SAME AS CUSTOMER-SALESMAN RELATIONSHIP DR. SUNIL THOMAS CHANDY Posted by “WCRC World Leaders” August 31, 2016 in 50 Most Trusted Healthcare Brands Issue

“The cost of care is escalating beyond the affordability of the average Indian.”

Like education and priesthood, health is a social service entity. CMC Vellore explains to WCRC how strongly they feel it and how they follow it.

How does CMC consistently generate trust with the consumer according to the mission and values of the brand?

“CMC Vellore believes that the doctor-patient relationship is not the same as salesman-customer (consumer) relationship. The former is a relationship of trust, while the latter is a service-for-fee arrangement. Trust is generated not by

facilities, equipment or façade of a hospital but by the confidence created in the patient through honesty and consistency of the care giver. CMC Vellore’s approach is based on cost effectiveness, appropriate care driven by patients’ needs, not on profits.

Availability, accessibility and affordability define our patient services. The belief that health is delivered as a service motive and not as a business, instills a great level of trust in our patients.

WHAT ARE THE VALUES AND ETHOS OF THE CMC BRAND? 1. Reliability, honesty and trust 2. Education as the key to transformation 3. Service as the dominating ethic for healthcare, not profit 4. Not merit alone, but merit with mission makes a good doctor 5. Low cost, holistic, effective care 6. Primary to Tertiary care, all under one umbrella 7. Money, or the lack of it, should not be the reason for offering care 8. Treat the person, not the symptom or investigation 9. Evidenced-based medicine, scientific and rational 10. Clinically-driven research 11. Avoid over-investigation, over-diagnosis, and over-treatment What are the challenges in the Indian market?

Paradoxically, the biggest challenge to Indian healthcare is the new packaging of healthcare itself. Clearly, moving away from poor-friendly interventions to insurance-driven packages is only setting the stage for a national public health calamity.

Driven by venture capitalists with no medical mission, the construction industry, the device and pharma magnates/ business houses, cost of care is escalating beyond the affordability of the average Indian. Hospitals are five-star facilities with over-emphasis on show and opulence. On the other hand, the falling standards and poor funding allocation for public health does not auger well for the burgeoning Indian population. The dual-disease burden induced by the persistence of communicable diseases and the emergence of new lifestyle diseases pose a huge challenge to the fragile health ecosystem in India. There is no collective strategy by the stakeholders of health. To add to this, the current unresolved controversies in medical education will likely precipitate an exodus

of young doctors to overseas destinations leaving India with a human resource crunch.

How does the brand CMC hold its legacy and maintain its market position vis-à-vis competition?

First of all, CMC Vellore is never in competition with anyone nor concerned about maintaining its market position. Market position is a business parameter and is determined by profit statements and media ratings. Neither is primary for CMC. We are a missionary organization with a mandate for service to the needy, disadvantaged and downtrodden in India. Our legacy is one of reliability, honesty and trust which we transfer to our students during their studentship. Our values are practiced through care given to our patients. They remain our champions and greatest advocates of our legacy.

What are the industry-redefining innovations that CMC is doing for the Indian market?

I believe the terms ‘industry’ and ‘customer’ are completely inappropriate in the domain of health. Like education and priesthood, health is a social service entity. If ‘industry’ is the word in question, the answer is ‘none’. If the question is about healthcare as a service, we have several innovations. The GIS system for tracking epidemics and sentinel health events in villages has proved to be a useful public health tool. The low-cost mechanical hand being developed by CMC Bioengineering is likely to benefit poor victims of industrial accidents.

The Alpha Outpatient Clinic is a model of a single day, walk-in clinic where patients are seen, evaluated and diagnosed within a twelve hour day. The CHRIS CARD is CMC’s own debit system which allows the patient to complete cashless transactions across outpatient services, saving time and ensuring safety. The Jawadhi Hills Tribal Care is a comprehensive social upliftment model that has attracted global interest. There are several others.

Innovations that transform an outcome, yet are cost effective, are the true medical innovations. I would not consider high-cost equipment from big business houses as true innovations. They only escalate the cost of care, usually for minor benefits.

With the exponential growth of the healthcare industry in India, what are the key strategies that the CMC Brand is adopting to maintain market leadership?

I would like to differentiate. The healthcare ‘industry’ may be booming, but healthcare ‘service’ in India faces serious challenges like never before (vide

National Healthcare Policy Draft). Refer to the plethora of negative public opinions on falling ethics, profiteering and commercialization of health. CMC is not in the market rat race as that is not our mission. Our strategy is to be needbased and respond to the emerging needs of society. The current needs from a public health perspective are road-trauma management, metabolic emergencies, geriatric and pediatric emergencies. The epidemics of dengue; the escalating numbers of pollution-related respiratory diseases in children; cancer in the young; adolescent behavioral disorders; all call for a nationwide health strategy.

We have taken stock of the emergent problems in our state, and are responding by building a new facility to cater to the changing epidemiological challenges.