30 BrandKerala December 2012

Padma Shri Dr. Azad Moopen, a doctor, philanthropist, educationalist and a healthcare entrepreneur who has made a significant mark in India and the Middle East with his social interventions focused

on the underprivileged. As a recipient of Padma Award What do you feel now?

I’m very humbled to receive the fourth highest civilian honour of our country, and I thanks the panel for recognizing my services over the years. But I also know that this would not have been possible without support of a capable and committed team of professionals with

me. Could you please share your Vision and Mission?

My Vision is to bring quality healthcare at affordable cost. Our

mission is to provide ‘Care beyond Boundaries’, cutting across geographies, languages and races, which reflects in our efforts over the last 25 years since our establishment. How much of you is a doctor now?

I may be an entrepreneur, an educationist or a philanthropist, but, I always remains as a doctor.You once said that High Net worth Individuals (HNIs) and Corporates must engage actively in healthcare industry. Could you please explain how their involvement can make a change in the society ?

Humanity is the biggest power one can possess. Healthcare is a good service to the community in which everyone’s involvement is equally important and The corporates and HNIs play a great role in providing financial aid to create a strong healthcare sector in the region. They would also take effort in awareness promotion and quality healthcare to each and every corner of the society. On employee’s healthcare vision Could you please explain about DM Healthcare’s vision to employee’s healthcare?

As it is said, charity begins at home. I believe that if our own employees at DM Healthcare is well looked after, they would be able to extend their support towards the largest mission of quality healthcare for all. The services and facilities at DM Healthcare is extended to all employees as regular checkups, consultations, and medication is also provided to those who need it. Do you think that Kerala / India-based companies are giving less priority to employee’s health? If yes, what should be done in this regard?

In some Gulf countries, laws have made it mandatory for every company in the country to provide health insurance that covers not only the employee, but also their families. Companies should make their employee’s health a priority ensuring they are well looked after as

Interview with Dr. Azad MoopenChairman, DM Healthcare

F a c e t o F a c e

By K Govindan Nampoothiry

30 BrandKerala December 2012

31 BrandKerala December 2012

the success for any company largely depends on its employees, who work very hard towards it.On InvestmentsExplain the future projects - Vision 2015 and beyond

Currently DM Healthcare has over 125 units of hospitals, medical centers, diagnostic centers and pharmacies across Middle East and India. Our aim is to increase our units to 300 by the year 2015, and provide more accessibility to our customers. We have plans to increase our network across the region, with projects that are all set for completion in the coming months. Our operations in India have been growing at a rapid pace too. Apart from increasing the network of hospitals in India’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, DM Healthcare is constructing the Aster-MedCity, a state-of-the-art quaternary care referral hospital in Kochi, master planned in 39 acres of land and a medical college with 750 beds hospital in Wayanad, Kerala. We have acquired a large hospital in Saudi Arabia and are constructing three hospitals in UAE. With these, the total beds being managed by the Group will be over 3,000 in India and GCC.”Could you please tell about your company’s plan on IPO?

We plan to go public in 2-3 years, most probably in the BSE.On Investments in KeralaPlease share a few words about future projects of DM Healthcare in Kerala, especially about Aster MedCity in Kochi?

MedCity in Kochi will be one of our most iconic and ambitious projects so far. MedCity is coming up in a sprawling 39-acre land on the banks of Periyar river in Kochi. DM Healthcare has also constructed Aadhar Hospital, another 150-bed Greenfield project in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra. DM Wayanad Institute of Medical Sciences (DM WIMS) is another major projects in Kerala, where a 50 acre campus with 150 student intake and 700 bed hospital is being constructed at a cost of Rs. 250 crores.As an investor in Kerala, could you please explain the benefits? What do you expect from the state?

Kerala is a state known as Gods own country, and is very rich in its resources. It also has the highest literacy rate in the country, which means we also have a lot of young talent in the state. The infrastructure like Road, Electricity, Water should be improved.From your observation, which sectors have the potential to accelerate Kerala’s growth and how vital those are?

Tourism especially Health Tourism and IT industries have great potential for growthIf Kerala wants to attract more investments, what should State Government of Kerala do? How do

F a c e t o F a c e

31 BrandKerala December 2012

32 BrandKerala December 2012

you rate the growth of Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode? What rejuvenation package would really benefit the above cities to grow further?

The Government should provide good infrastructure and cut red-tapes & delays.On ‘unwell’ KeralaWhat issues do you think are hampering the sector’s growth in Kerala and how it can be resolved?

There are a lot of societal norms which curbs the people from addressing certain issues which are necessary to be brought out. The healthcare sector of Kerala is not very developed technologically due to technical problems such as electricity. New and improved methods and encouraging people to address certain issues is essential to resolve the hampering of the sectors growth in the region.With the mushrooming of private hospitals, don’t you think health care is not affordable for ordinary people?

This depends from each hospital to the other, but I would always recommend people to visit well reputed hospitals which will provide you with the correct diagnosis and medication for any problem.Do you think that Kerala, even though has resources, is far behind in medical tourism? If yes, how we can move ahead?

The state attracts foreign tourists by the drove for its scenic backwaters, historical past and its cosmopolitan culture. Kerala’s geographical beauty also comes with great talent in the healthcare field and a rich medical heritage. Kerala is renowned across the world as a destination for Ayurvedic treatments.

A mega health city, such as MedCity, which offers global standards in such a popular destination, becomes a project of national significance. It would definitely arouse the curiosity and the health city will benefit medical tourism, giving tourists a greater impression of Kerala as well as India.

While the state is working on building its healthcare sector, DM Healthcare is also contributing, with the support of the government of Kerala, by building massive projects such as DM WIMS and Hospitals, including MedCity. These are aimed at building a stronger healthcare sector in the state and attracting medical tourism as well.How we can change ‘unwell Kerala’ to a ‘Healthy Kerala’?

There are a lot of projects undertaken by us, like MedCity, which will help in benefitting the region to a great extent. The education sector surpasses the expectations of talent which is there in the city, and the state must ensure they provide more education and job

opportunities for the students so that they encourage more people to work for their country and state instead of working abroad. The state should put these individuals’ talents to good use. Kerala is a very clean and hygienic state, but the cleanliness should be encouraged further by providing sanitation facilities, making it a healthier place to live in for the future generation.On health attitudeCould you please brief about the attitude of Indian citizens and UAE citizens towards healthcare?

Indians usually try and use more of home remedies before they visit a doctor, and use alternative therapies such as homeopathy and ayurveda, whereas the UAE citizens prefer Allopathy, and they rely more on their doctors. Hence, it becomes very important for doctors to diagnose and provide the correct medication for the patients, because the people have entrusted them with their health. The kind of healthcare issues and treatments also differ between those in India and people here in the UAE, due to factors such as lifestyle, accessibility to facilities and cost.How it different the healthcare system in India and GCC?

The healthcare system in both India and GCC is almost similar. The GCC has great accessibility to better technological facilities and a cleaner and healthier environment. In India, there is great talent and more room for experimentation, for new innovations and theories to evolve. There are different schemes of healthcare services provided in India for those who are at a low income group and not everyone has insurance there, whereas in the UAE, health insurance is essential and mandatory. How beneficial is Saudi Government’s new health insurance scheme?

The mandatory health insurance for all expats is very beneficial for the common man due to easy accessibility & affordability for health careWhat are the scopes of India in healthcare?

India is known as one of the richest heritage of healing and medicine in the world, and has established a world power in healthcare, being a popular medical destination today. As it provides world class facilities and services, India will very soon be a leader in the healthcare sector in the world. The best part of the region is that it experiments all different kinds of healthcare which benefits the economy as a whole, because it is quick, easy and affordable along with providing user friendly medications for all.

F a c e t o F a c e

32 BrandKerala December 2012