Vol4 Issue 5 August 2014 - Healthcare

Vol 4 Issue 5 August 2014 `100

INSIDEA South Region Special Edition

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Bringing The Most Reliable, Innovative & World class Imaging,

Cardiac & Critical Care solutions within Healthcare Reach.

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Vol 4 Issue 5 August 2014 `100

Healthcare infrastructure has surged by leaps & bounds, particularly in the Southern region of India pg 22

Going South StrategyBuilding a winning team is a never ending work in progress pg 36

Safety FirstErrors & mishaps in a hospital that lead to harm, have dual effects pg 40

Industry TrendsHome healthcare is opening new career doors for nurses pg 43

INSIDEA South Region Special Edition

Health Biz India August 2014 3

Recently, a poll was conducted by my team about which region of India has the best medical facilities. A staggering 84 per cent pointed towards South India!

If you look at the last few decades, the region has actually shown some tremendous growth. Be it Narayana Hrudayalaya’s bottom of the pyramid model or Aravind Eye Care’s outstanding network, there are countless instances where Southern India has proved its mettle. Our August edition is thus dedicated to this fastest-growing region of India. Sit back and enjoy the ride in this South Special Issue!

As you know, our Strategy section is currently running a series on ‘champion teams’. In the second part this month, Vivek Shukla explains

that a winning team is not built in a day, and doesn’t stay a winning team forever; it’s a never ending work in progress.

In our Safety First section, Dr. Nikhil Datar sheds light on a phenomenon in which errors and mishaps in a hospital set-up that lead to harm, have dual effects; on patients as well as on the clinicians. Apparently, the WHO is now looking at healthcare professionals involved in such incidences as ‘second victims of patient safety accidents’. Read the section to know more.

We all know that home healthcare is now gaining momentum in India, with many new organisations stepping into the business. This segment is also offering new avenues for a whole lot of healthcare workers too, especially nurses. Our Industry Trends, thus, rightly covers how

home healthcare is now seeming to be a favourable trend for nurses in India. Moving further, we all lead a stressful work life with crazy and long working hours. Under

the burden of all this work, we tend to forget that our health is getting side-lined, especially our backs and necks, which pay the price for our erratic work hours. Health Beyond Fitness this month tells you the right postures of sitting at work for long hours.

Our Travel section in this edition takes you to Kabini, which lies in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve of the Western Ghats, and is one of the world’s 10 Hottest Biodiversity Hotspots, declared by UNESCO. Enjoy the adventure with some aptly clicked pictures.

How many times have we accidently dropped our phone in a (ahem) bowl of water? Or probably spilled some or lots on it? On most occasions, we had to bid adieu to our beloved device. Well, seems there are ways to save this life, which our Tech-o-Manic section will tell you about.

Happy Reading!

Jayata Sharma-Sand

EDITOR

Welcome to the August edition of Health Biz India!

FROM

THE


Front of the Book

Opinion------------------------------------------------- 06Dr. Ramakanta Panda, VC of Mumbai’s Asian Heart Institute, expresses his opinion on Access to Healthcare in India

Top News----------------------------------------------- 10News that impacts the industry in ways more than one. Every month, we fish out and bring to you the top news from among the lot of numerous news that streams in

Current Affairs----------------------------------------12Latest takeovers & mergers, new launches, new technologies, and updates of the industry

Content August 2014 Vol 4 Issue 5

Center Stage----------------------------------------------------------------------------22 One of the largest service sector industries in India, healthcare is playing an increasingly pivotal role in the nation’s economic growth story. Driven by allied services such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and software solutions, healthcare infrastructure has surged by leaps and bounds, particularly in the Southern region of India

Editor-in-Chief Jayata Sharma-Sand

Editorial ContributorsVivek ShuklaDr. Nikhil DatarDr. Tennore RameshDr. Gerd MuellerUsha PrabhakarAvirat ShetePrashant Pathak

Marketing & Sales Regional Sales Head (New Delhi) Bhupesh Tewari Consultant (Mumbai) Deepti Khanna

Art & DesignGlowrt Design House

Cover Design P. Jadhav

Online ProductionP. Jadhav & Vishal Phalke

Disclaimer: Health Biz India is an online maga-zine only. We do not deal in any other service/product under this name. Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Health Biz India, its Publisher and/or Editors. We, at Health Biz India do our best to verify the information published but do not take any responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the information.

Health Biz India does not take the responsibility for any investment or decision taken by readers based on the information provided in the maga-zine. No part of this magazine can be reproduced without prior written permission of the Publisher. Health Biz India reserves the right to use the information published in the magazine in any manner whatsoever.

Printed by Himanshu Manral and Published by Jayata Sharma-Sand on behalf of Health Biz India.

Printed at A 120, Okhla Phase II, New Delhi 20; and Published at C-1/701, Neelpadamkunj, Sec-tor 1, Vaishali, Ghaziabad 201010

HEALTHBIZ INDIA

India’s 1st Online Healthcare Business Magazine

Content


Features

Back of the Book

Leisure – Travel--------------------------------------60 Kabini lies in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve of the Western Ghats, and is one of the world’s 10 Hottest Biodiversity Hotspots, declared by UNESCO

Leisure – Tech-o-Manic--------------------------66 How to save a life; things you do when your phone becomes wet

Events---------------------------------------------------68 A monthly update on the healthcare events taking place in the country & globally

Post Events-------------------------------------------69 AMEN’s 1-day conference on Healthcare Branding, Marketing and Profitability at Chennai

Strategy ---------------------------------------------- 36 In the second part of our series, Story of Champion Teams, Mr. Vivek Shukla explains that a winning team is not built in a day, and doesn’t stay a winning team forever; it’s a never ending work in progress

Safety First --------------------------------------------40Errors and mishaps in a hospital set-up that lead to harm, have dual effects; on patients as well as on the clinicians

Industry Trends---------------------------------------43 Homecare open new doors for nurses; the segment is gaining momentum in India, and it seems is a favorable trend for nurses

Special Feature --------------------------------------55Early diagnosis of motor neuron diseases is becoming more important so that patients can be medicated and managed to live better

Health Beyond Fitness----------------------------58Sitting for long hours takes a toll on your health; here are some tips to improve your health with a sedentary job

HEALTHBIZ INDIA

India’s 1st Online Healthcare Business Magazine

Stretch your Business Opportunities with Health Biz India

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Around 40 per cent of India’s 1.1-billion population is living on less than $2 a day.Yet, India spends more than 40 billion on weapons per year and less than 4 billion on healthcare.Not surprisingly, India is burdened with a twin epidemic of infectious and non-communicable diseases. Even as we tackle diarrhoea and tuberculosis as causes of large scale death, we face the dubious distinction of being the heart disease and diabetes capital of the world. In the year 2015, India is projected to lose 237 billion dollars as income loss attributable to the burden of chronic disease.Globally, the top 10 risk factors leading to disease, disability, or death are:1. Underweight/malnutrition2. Unsafe sex3. Unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene4. Indoor smoke from solid fuel5. Zinc deficiency6. Iron deficiency7. Vitamin A deficiency8. High blood pressure

9. Tobacco10. High cholesterol

Generationally, it may take a couple of turns to cure all of the above ills, but here’s an 8-point roadmap that we could start with, keeping in mind that improving access to healthcare for under-served patients is our goal:1. Sustainable model: We need a sustainable social model that will

involve training our citizens in ‘Health seeking behaviour’ – a section of India is so poor that they don’t believe they deserve healthcare at all. This has to change, besides, the closest clinic or dispensary or doctor in any form is a 5 km walk away.

2. Advocacy: This has to start with basics like not discriminating against the girl child, equal opportunities for all and the need to take vaccines on time. These simple, local language programs have to be delivered door-to-door, group by group. The top 10 risk factors outlined above also need advocacy.

3. Human resources: In 2013, the Union Cabinet approved the government’s plan for the creation of a specialised cadre of healthcare workers for rural areas by instituting a three-year-course in state universities. The Bachelor of Science (Community Health) course will create a cadre of Community Health Officers who will be posted at sub-centres, functioning under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, where they can provide basic healthcare. The emphasis on training will be on conducting normal deliveries, pre-and anti-natal care, handling diarrhoea, pneumonia, vaccination, providing tuberculosis treatment and treatment of fevers and skin infections. This should be started, and they should be made to fit seamlessly into the rural healthcare system.

4. Healthcare infrastructure: India’s healthcare infrastructure is inadequate to meet the burden of its diseases. India has just 130 beds per 1,00,000 population against a world average of 270 beds and the WHO mandate of 350 beds.

5. Access to treatment: According to World Bank data, India spends four per cent of its

India is not a poor country, but a country with many poor people

OPINION


GDP on health, which is among the lowest in the world (the average for LMICs is 5.7 per cent – denotes those countries within Sub-Saharan Africa, South-east Asia or South Asia (with the exception of India). Many people cannot access treatment when they need it. Under the universal health coverage, supplying free or subsidised medication should be a priority, especially to citizens below the poverty line. This is vital, since medicines make up about 70 per cent of out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Rajasthan are some of the states which have taken up this project and have had varying degrees of success in implementation.

6. Nutrition: One in every three malnourished children in the world lives in India; as per UNICEF Madhya Pradesh records the worst at 55 per cent malnutrition, while Kerala is the best on this front at 27 per cent.

7. Individual poverty, housing, water and sanitation: With 626 million people openly defecating, India has the dubious distinction of accounting for 59 per cent of 1.1 billion people worldwide who practice it. According to UN, this is the riskiest sanitation practice, one of the main cause of diarrhoea. Each day, 3,000 children before the age of four die from this. Diarrhoea related illness deprive India of 73 million working days each year. The supply of potable water along with radical improvements in sanitation and waste control should be priority areas.

8. One country, many laws: A typical hospital needs to comply with several acts such as law related to governing the commissioning of hospital, law governing storage/sale of drugs and safe

medication. Consider the following which comes under different ministries:a. The Quality Council of India (and its NABH) is under Ministry of Commerce and Industry.b. The IPHS and Clinical Establishment Act comes under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.c. The Medical Insurance (IRDA) is under Ministry of Finance.d. BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) and

Consumer Protection Act are under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.e. Medical Council of India is another governing body.

There definitely needs to be an integrated approach to healthcare delivery and regulation. On the institutional side, India has a chaotic healthcare delivery model, because there are no standards or norms for clinical processes that need to be followed by the hospitals across India.

Summing upThere is a need to build healthcare systems based on principles of equity, disease prevention and health promotion. We have to strengthen the public sector leadership in equitable health care systems financing, ensuring universal access to care regardless of ability to pay. We also need to invest in national health work forces, balancing rural and urban health workers density if we have to work on closing the healthcare gap in a generation.

There is a lot of work to be done, and from what I see of young healthcare professionals in the country, who are among the best in the world, we are ready to rise to the challenge.

Dr. Ramakanta Panda is the Vice Chairman of Mumbai’s Asian Heart Institute, and world’s leading cardiac surgeon. This Opinion piece is written by him as an ambassador for healthcare reform in India.

OPINION


Current AffairsCurrent Affairs

Ford recently announced the launch of its Innovate Mobility Challenge Series, inviting the developer and ‘maker’ communities to come together to find innovative mobility solutions in eight different locations around the world.

The eight challenges of the Innovate Mobility Series will charge developers and makers to propose solutions to specific locally-relevant issues – including the delivery of healthcare solutions

The worldwide challenges kicked off in July in Lisbon,

Portugal, Los Angeles, United States, and Mumbai, India, before moving on to Delhi and the Chennai region in India, Shanghai, China, Johannesburg, South Africa, and a countrywide challenge in Argentina.

“Reaching out to local stakeholders lets Ford more effectively address the diverse mobility challenges around the world,” said Paul Mascarenas, Ford’s Chief Technical Officer and Vice President, Research and Innovation. “Launching our Innovate Mobility Challenge

Series in eight different regions will bring global and local players together in the pursuit of one goal, which is a smarter and more efficient transportation network for the future.”

For each competition, Ford will partner with local authorities and experts to address different issues in each location. The competitions will be judged by a panel of Ford executives involved in researching mobility solutions, as well as by local experts selected for each competition. For full

details on all the challenges, visit the Innovate Mobility Challenge Series landing page, fordsvl.com/innovatemobility.

Each challenge was designed to address a specific issue facing the diverse needs of cities around the world. For Delhi, the SUMURR Golden Hour Challenge will invite developers to create software applications leveraging information to decrease the time to get to care and increase information available for care to improve health outcomes within the critical “Golden Hour” after a traumatic incident.

The submission period will run from July 30 to October 30. For the Chennai region, the SUMURR mHealth Challenge will focus on leveraging information to extend health services for remote rural regions accessible from Chennai. The submission period will run from July 30 to October 30.

The first three competitions of the Innovate Mobility Challenge Series – Mumbai, Lisbon and Los Angeles – will offer prizes totalling US$30,000 for each challenge, with a grand prize of US$15,000 for the winner of each.

Ford launches Innovate Mobility Challenge SeriesThe worldwide challenges kicked off in July in Lisbon, Portugal, Los Angeles, United States, and Mumbai, India, before moving on to Delhi and the Chennai region

Top news


Current Affairs

Philips India announced the appointment of Mr Sameer Garde as President, Philips Healthcare, South Asia, effective from July 22, 2014. In his new role, Sameer will be based in Gurgaon and will be responsible for driving and building the healthcare business for Philips in India. He replaces Mr. Krishna Kumar who continued to lead the Philips Healthcare business following his appointment as Vice Chairman and Managing Director.

An industry veteran with an extensive and interesting experience spanning over 24 years, Sameer started his career in the consumer industry with Nestle and Pepsi before transitioning to the B2B segment with

positions in Whirlpool and Dell International. Prior to joining Philips, Sameer headed Enterprise Business at Samsung.

An alumnus of IIM Kolkata and IIT Delhi, Sameer brings in extensive experience in driving sales and defining marketing growth opportunities for both B2C and B2B companies. Commenting on his new role, Sameer said “I am looking forward to this new role in Philips and am excited about working with the Philips Healthcare team to strengthen our leadership in the healthcare space in India.”

Krishna Kumar, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Philips India said “I am confident that he will lead Philips Healthcare to greater scale and excellence.”

Philips HC appoints Sameer Garde as President

Top news

CURA & Sri Ramachandra University sign MoU Recently, Mr. Bala, CEO, CURA Healthcare and Dr. SP Thyagarajan, Prof of Eminence and Research, Sri Ramachandra University signed an MoU in presence of Dr. JSN Murthy, Vice-Chancellor, SRU to establish an industry-academia partnership.

The objective is to work together so as to facilitate the advancement of knowledge in Imaging

Diagnostics technology. The collaboration space includes imparting training, being part of their Radiology and Imaging curriculum, assist SRU in coming as an external examiner in semester examinations and in enhancing contents of ‘internship’ to be undergone by the students of Radiology & Imaging Sciences of SRU, industrial collaborative research projects, joint R&D initiatives etc.

An industry veteran with an extensive & interesting experience spanning over 24 years



Dr. Devi Shetty, Chairman, Narayana Health Group was awarded with an honorary doctorate degree of ‘Doctor of Science’ for his contributions and commitment to the field of Medical Science. The Doctorate was conferred upon him with the consent of the ‘President of India Shri. Pranab Mukherjee to the proposal made by Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M). The Honorary Degree was bestowed by Prof. Bhaskar Rammurthi – Director, IIT- M as part of 51st convocation at a ceremony in Chennai.

Receiving the award, Dr. Devi Shetty, Chairman, Narayana Health, said, “A

tribute to a person is always an acknowledgment of his ideologies, efforts and the purpose to which that person has devoted his life. It has been our constant endeavour

at Narayana Health to bring down the cost of healthcare and make quality healthcare accessible to all sections of society. Thus, I share this award with all those who have also dedicated themselves for this cause.” He also added, “Consolidation is the only way to reach out to a larger level, for which it’s important to partner with multiple stakeholders, including academia.”

Dr. Devi Shetty is also the recipient of the prestigious civilian award, Padma Bhushan for his contributions in the field of healthcare, especially heart care.

After completing his

graduate degree in Medicine and post-graduate work in General Surgery from Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, he trained in cardiac surgery at Guys Hospital in the United Kingdom. He performed the first neonatal heart surgery in the country on a 9-day-old baby. In Kolkata, he operated on Mother Theresa after she had a heart attack and subsequently served as her personal physician. Dr. Shetty founded Narayana Hrudayalaya (now Narayana Health) in 2001, which is today one of the largest multispeciality hospital chains in India with 26 hospitals across 16 cities.

Dr. Devi Shetty awarded ‘Honoris Causa’ by IIT-Madras

HCIT VC funding doubled over Q1 with $1.8 bn in Q2 14Mercom Capital Group, llc, a global communications and consulting firm, recently released its report on funding and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity in the Healthcare Information Technology (IT) sector for the second quarter of 2014. Mercom’s comprehensive report covers deals of all sizes in Healthcare IT across the globe.

Venture capital (VC) funding in the sector more than doubled with $1.8 billion raised in 161 deals, a 104 percent increase compared to the $861 million raised in Q1 2014. Ten of those deals were for more than $50

million each.The $2.6 billion raised so far

this year has already exceeded the $2.2 billion raised in all of 2013. There were 263 investors that participated in these funding rounds, with 58 angel investors including some

well-known celebrities and entrepreneurs. The quarter also included 30 corporate venture capitalists.

“It was a quarter of several milestones. It was the first billion dollar fundraising quarter for the Healthcare IT

sector which has now raised almost $7 billion in venture funding since 2010. M&A deals were also at their highest levels this quarter, while Mobile Health companies continued to outraise other technologies,” commented Raj Prabhu, CEO and Co-Founder of Mercom Capital Group.

Practice-centric companies received 61 percent of all VC investments in the second quarter of 2014, with $1.1 billion in 61 deals. Areas that received the most funding under this category were Practice Management with $220 million in eight deals, Data Analytics with $204 million in


Current Affairs

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A 95-year-old woman, a resident of Vashi-Navi Mumbai, suffered from hip fracture after slipping in the bathroom at night. She was bought to Sterling Wockhardt Hospital where she had to undergo a surgery. Dr Kuldeep Tamboli, an Orthopaedic & Joint replacement Surgeon at Sterling Wockhardt Hospital, conducted the surgery. The operation had to be done with utmost care as the risk was high considering her age.

This the common fracture in the elderly near the hip

joint also called an Inter-Trochanterric fracture. Dr Kuldeep suggested modular bipolar arthroplasty wherein the fractured can be treated by removing the fractured bone and replacing it with an artificial metal stem with a ball. By this, we do not wait for the fracture to heal and can make the patient walk much earlier.

“Operating on such an elderly patient was a risk. Ideally, we use a material called bone cement to fix the stem and the ball to the patient’s thigh bone. But sometimes

using this bone cement can cause severe allergic reactions leading to even death of the patient.” The patient’s relatives were already aware of such complication as somebody they knew had died due to allergic reaction of the bone cement during surgery. So a newer technique of using a stem with a special coating called HA that sticks the bone without using bone cement was decided to be used.

The surgery went well and she was back on her feet in a short time.

Modular Bipolar technique saves life of a 95-yr-old

US-based Comprehensive Prosthetics & Orthotics launches India operationsThe United States-based Comprehensive Prosthetics & Orthotics (CPO), which primarily focuses on improving the lives of disabled through innovative devices and techniques, has commercially launched its India operations following huge response for its pilot project for people suffering from amputations, limb loss, as well as lifestyle-related joint problems.

The company, started by Indian-origin American Mr Amit Bhanti, had been operating a series of clinics in the country on a pilot basis at seven locations, including in Delhi, Noida and Hyderabad. The clinics will act as one-stop solution for prosthetic and orthotic patients, offering technologically advanced and

cutting-edge products and services. CPO last started the state-of-the-art clinic in Jammu recently.

CPO is the one of the premium providers of all prosthetics and orthotics products and services in the US, where it has a network of 21 clinics across various locations. The company strategises to

implement a similar patient-centric model in India, where the sector is very fragmented and does not have many specialised players.

“The prosthetics and orthotics space in India is very unorganised and the sector is in its early stages of growth. There is a huge potential for growth for the company here.

Also, we can offer customers our customised and high-end products along with the support and guidance of our rehabilitation experts. Our aim is to restore mobility and quality of life in those who have lost hope,” says Mr Amit Bhanti, Clinical Director & Global Chief Executive Officer of CPO.

“We have been running clinics on a pilot basis at various locations in India. Seeing the huge response, we have commercialised our business and plan to launch 20 more clinics in the next one year.

Our customised products help people get on with their lives independently by making them resume their normal activities of living.”

nine deals, Population Health Management with $144 million in four deals.

Consumer-centric companies received $678 million in 100 deals, with the majority of the funding again going into the Mobile Health category ($401 million in 45 deals). Within Mobile Health, $129 million went to 23 companies developing Apps, $226 million went to 17 companies developing Wearables. Personal Health companies received $115 million in 23 deals and Scheduling, Rating & Shopping companies received $61 million in 12 deals.



Yashoda Cancer Institute unveils Triple F RadiosurgeryYashoda Cancer Institute recently launched the Triple F beam which is more accessible and affordable to the people across India. Triple F Radiosurgery unveils a new realm in the world of radiotherapy wherein hypo-fractionated stereotactic treatments can be performed for all types of cancers: malignant or benign.

Triple F technology is the Fastest: Increased dose rate leads to shortened treatment time, as low as 3 minutes per day, compared to 1-3 hours of other radiosurgery. With 4D Imaging it gives better outcomes, hence, has

the highest Precision and it is the Safest as it reduces complications and side-effects. “Stereotactic body radiotherapy and stereotactic radiosurgery involve delivering

the total dose in fewer treatment sessions, with a greater portion of the dose delivered in each session. With the availability of this Triple F technology; early

lung, liver, spine, prostate and brain tumours conventional radiotherapy treatment sessions of five to six weeks can be reduced to 1-3 days of treatment,” explained Dr. GS Rao, Managing Director, Yashoda Group of Hospitals.

The strength of the Cancer Institute lies in the ability to offer all treatment modalities under one roof. The emphasis is on combining all modalities of treatment in the right combination to achieve the best results, while minimising the side effects. The focus on organ conservation surgery is to improve quality of life without affecting the chances of cure.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, recently announced the launch of the Customer Experience Center (CEC) in Bangalore, India to showcase its innovative technologies to new and existing customers.

Genomics plays an increasingly important role in driving discoveries in the life sciences. For example, in medicine and healthcare, genomics provides an advantage in the development of research into the diagnosis and treatment of communicable diseases including tuberculosis and more serious diseases such as cancer. In the fields

of agriculture and the environment, genomics supports advancements in crop development and the search for alternative energy sources improving the availability of nutritious food and access to sustainable energy.

The study of whole genomes, or genomics, enables researchers to find solutions to some of the most complex challenges in science today.

Thermo Fisher ‘s new 1800 sq. ft. CEC is located in the heart of India’s biotechnology

capital and designed to meet these developing needs, which cover the life sciences spectrum including genomics, proteomics and cell biology.

More than 24 training programs have been scheduled for the year 2014 at CEC, which will enhance the skills and knowledge of approximately 200 scientists.

Joydeep Goswami, Asia Pacific and Japan President Life Sciences Solutions, Thermo Fisher said, “The CEC will enable us to provide hands on experience and training in our latest technologies to scientists in India and partner with them.”

Thermo Fisher launches Customer Experience Center


Current Affairs

International recognition for Kerala surgeon at British Parliament

Ayushakti’s first ‘Ayurvedic Franchise Centre’ in Mumbai

Kerala’s renowned laparoscopic and liver surgeon Dr. KP Haridas has been honoured with a lifetime achievement award for his outstanding contribution to healthcare, social work and philanthropy. The Thriuvananthapuram-based surgeon was bestowed the award at the UK South India Business Meet 2014 held at the Houses of Parliament, Westminster, London recently.

Dr. Haridas received the award from Lord Swraj Paul, eminent Indian-born British industrialist and Life Peer and Member, UK House of Lords in the presence of Mr Virendra Sharma, Member, UK House of Commons. Mr Alister Jones, Deputy Director, UK Trade & Investments (UKTI),

Mr Mike Knowles, British Business Group, Mr Sujit Nair, Director, BSICC and Mr Philip Abraham, Vice-Chair, BSICC were also present.

Dr Haridas holds the credit for successfully carrying out the first liver resection in Medical College, Trivandrum as early as 1980. In his

over four decade surgical experience, he has performed thousands of minimally invasive gastrointestinal surgeries, most of them declared inoperable.

Dr Haridas, Chairman and Managing Director of the multi-disciplinary Lords Hospital here also made a

presentation on “New models in Healthcare relevant to South India”. Mr Harish Haridas, Vice Chairman, Lords Hospital and Oxford Alumni spoke about the ‘Business Opportunities in Kerala’. He highlighted the initiatives taken up by the Kerala Government and the favourable investment climate in Kerala.

Members of the House of Lords, House of Commons, representatives of UK and Indian companies interested in exploring business opportunities in South India were present. Business experts and industry leaders from the states of Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry also participated.

Ayushakti Ayurved Pvt. Ltd., an ISO 9001 -2008 certified company, recently launched it’s first ‘Ayurvedic Franchise Centre’ at Elphistone Road in Mumbai. The centre is inaugurated by Bollywood Actor Juhi Chawla. Spread across 1,500 sq.ft area, the first franchise centre is owned by Mr. Chiranjeev Shirvastava, CEO, Ayushakti Ayurved Pvt. Ltd.

The Company is spearheaded by renowned women entrepreneur, Vaidya Smita Naram, a successful

Ayurvedic practitioner for the past 27 years, she has helped more than half a million people across the world. Talking on the occasion,

Vaidya Smita Naram, Co-founder and Managing Director, said, “We are glad to launch our first ‘Ayurvedic Franchise Centre’ in Mumbai.

We are looking forward for a robust growth by means of exceptional service orientation and franchise expansion. Ayurveda has immense power to cure diseases and I wish to encourage entrepreneurship to rekindle the strength of our ancient proven science and create remarkable healing experience of Ayurveda across the world.”

Juhi Chawla is an ardent believer of Ayurveda and depends on this Indian ancient science for her family’s health and well-being.

Center Stage

One of the largest service sector industries in India, healthcare is playing an increasingly pivotal role in the nation’s economic growth story. Driven by allied services such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and software solutions, healthcare infrastructure has surged by leaps and bounds,

particularly in the Southern region of India

Going South for Quality Healthcare


Center Stage


By: Jayata Sharma-Sand

Earlier this year, India celebrated the complete eradication of polio following an official certification by the World Health Organization (WHO). As declared by the

Government of India, the nation has been polio free since January 2011. This is a triumph not only for the thousands of doctors and primary healthcare workers who have toiled for decades in some of the remotest parts of the country, but also for the entire healthcare industry which is the second largest

Cape Comorin, South India showing the Statue of Thiruvalluvar and Vivekananda Memorial

Center Stage


service sector in India today. In fact, quality healthcare in

India dates back to the 1800s when the Southern Princely State of Mysore was perhaps the first state in the country to take up a vaccination drive against small pox. The state administration set up a government hospital in Bangalore in 1846, the first public health unit in Mandya in 1929 and the world’s first two birth control clinics in 1930. However, after Independence, many Southern states, like the rest of India, had to strive hard to maintain high healthcare standards, especially in rural areas.

Despite individual and successive state governments’ policy differences, Southern India has been relatively

more successful in developing healthcare infrastructure owing to the dynamic growth of allied industries such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and IT services. These industries have provided an immediate

impetus to global healthcare providers who have made a recent foray into India, thereby providing unique opportunities for innovation, differentiation and profitability.

Low cost advantageOne of the fastest growing industries in India, healthcare is expected to advance at a CAGR of 15.2 per cent during 2011–17 to reach $160 billion. Rising income levels, an ageing population, growing health awareness and changing attitude towards preventive healthcare are the key factors that will drive this growth. The low cost of medical services, especially in South India has resulted in the rise of the region’s

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Center Stage


medical tourism market, attracting patients from across the world. Moreover, many Southern cities emerged as key R&D hubs for international players due to its relatively low cost of clinical research.

For instance, Aravind Eye Hospitals is a chain of hospitals present in all the major cities of South India such as Theni, Tirunelveli, Coimbatore, Puducherry and Madurai. The single largest provider of eye surgery in the world, Aravind is also present in select cities of North India such as Amethi and Kolkata in the East. In 1998, Aravind Eye Hospitals saw 1.2 million outpatients and performed 1,83,000 cataract surgeries. It costs Aravind about $10 to conduct a cataract operation

while the same costs hospitals in the US about $1,650. This demonstrates the power and potential of the Southern India’s healthcare industry.

Over the years, Southern India has adopted several strategies to empower the healthcare sector to achieve its maximum capability. Conducive policies for encouraging foreign direct investment (FDI), tax benefits, favourable government policies coupled with promising growth prospects have enabled the industry to attract private equity, venture capitalists and foreign investors.

A two-tier approachSimilar to other service sectors in the pre-liberalisation

period of the Indian economy, healthcare in South India has always been segregated into public and private sectors. The public sector healthcare system consists of facilities run by the central and state governments. These facilities are provided freely or at subsidised rates to lower income groups in rural and urban areas. However, healthcare in Southern India is going through a rapid growth phase, particularly in the private sector, owing to a healthy economy and surging middle class. This is demonstrated through some key private sector players who have strategically expanded into leading cities of South India in order to provide quality healthcare to a

Despite individual and successive

state governments’ policy differences, South India has been relatively

more successful in developing healthcare

infrastructure

Center Stage


prospering population down South.

Private players have made significant investments in setting up of state-of-the-art hospitals in cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The emergence of latest medical technology has created a competitive environment which has greatly benefitted the consumer. The government’s share in the healthcare delivery industry is 20 per cent while 80 per cent is in the private sector. Corporate hospitals such as Apollo Group, Fortis, Max, and Wockhardt have led to increased professionalism in medical practices and

use of world-class hospital management tools.

In fact, Chennai is known as the healthcare capital of India with world-class hospitals and specialty clinics. It is emerging as an important medical hub in South Asia. Some reputed names include Apollo Hospitals, Vijaya Hospitals, Sankara Nethralaya Eye Hospital, Christian Medical College Hospital at Vellore and the affiliated hospitals of Ramachandra Medical College. The Apollo Group, Sankara Nethralaya, Madras Medical Mission and MIOT group also attract overseas patients, thereby giving a boost to the region’s medical tourism industry.

Healthcare facilities provided by government hospitals in the state are also good. The government focuses on improvement in the general health, access to healthcare services and effective control and prevention of communicable diseases.

Southern stronghold for healthcare Some of the major private sector healthcare providers have begun their foray into India through its Southern cities. Owing to the substantial demand for high-quality and specialist healthcare services in tier-II and tier-III cities, leading healthcare brands such as

It won’t be long before South India

becomes the healthcare capital, not only of India, but for the entire Southeast Asia

Center Stage


Global Hospitals and Manipal Group have firmly established themselves in South India. For instance, Global Hospitals launched its first hospital in Hyderabad way back in 1998 followed by an expansion of its network in Bengaluru and Chennai. In 2002, Global Hospitals acquired the Tamil Nadu Hospital to transform it into the Global Health City. Similarly, the Apollo Group launched India’s first corporate hospital in Chennai in 1983 and also started its first children’s hospital in Chennai with 80 bed capacity in 2002.

One of the most successful hospital networks in the country, the Manipal Group is an active player in all major Southern cities such as Udupi, Bengaluru, Manipal, Attavar, Mangalore, Goa, Tumkur, Vijaywada, Kasaragod and Visakhapatnam.

To encourage further private sector participation

in the region’s healthcare initiatives and establish more hospitals in these cities, many Southern state governments have relaxed the taxes on these hospitals for the first five years. Also, many healthcare players such as Fortis and Manipal Group are entering management contracts to provide an additional revenue stream to hospitals. These policy-level initiatives by the

public sector are likely to make healthcare in India more efficient and cost effective.

These factors are certainly creating a positive and investor-friendly atmosphere for the healthcare industry, not only in South India but throughout the country. For instance, the Narayana Hrudayalaya has inaugurated the first phase of its 5,000-bed health city in Hyderabad. Yet another huge project coming up is the Aster MedCity by DM Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. in Kochi. Aster MedCity will be completed with an investment of around Rs. 21.5 billion and will be a unique comprehensive healthcare institution with 9 Centres of Excellence (COEs).

As these and other such projects begin to take shape across India, it won’t be long before South India becomes the healthcare capital not only of India but for the entire Southeast Asia.

Quality healthcare in India dates back to 1800s, when the Southern Princely State of Mysore was perhaps the first to take up a vaccination drive against small pox

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Manipal HospitalsStarted more than five decades ago, today Manipal Hospitals is India’s third largest healthcare group, comprising 15 hospitals and three primary clinics. Its flagship hospitals located in Bangalore, Manipal Hospital at HAL Airport Road, Manipal Northside Hospital in Malleshwaram, and Dr. Malathi Manipal Hospital in Jayanagar, are among India’s top 10 multispecialty hospitals, accredited with NABH.

Working towards developing an affordable tertiary care multispecialty healthcare framework, which would be extended to homecare in future, Manipal Hospitals

currently provides both curative and preventive care to a wide variety of patients from across the globe. Known for clinical excellence, patient centricity and ethical practices, the hospitals are equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure and facilities, enabling them to address the most complex medical problems.

The hospitals are specialised in accident & emergency care, bone & joints, brain & nerves, cancer care, child care, dental care, diabetes & thyroid care, dialysis & kidney transplants, ENT, eye care, general medicine, general surgery, genetics, growth and hormonal medicines, health check, heart care, ICU & critical care,

infertility & sexual medicine, liver & digestive system, kidney stone, prostate & urology, physiotheraphy & rehabilitation, psychiatry &

psychology, rheumatology, robotic assisted surgery, skin care, spine care, sports medicine, women & child care, and plastic & cosmetic surgery.

Apollo HospitalsEstablished in 1983, Apollo Hospitals Chennai is the flagship hospital of the Apollo Group. The hospital has more than 60 departments, specialised in cutting-edge medical procedures, and spearheaded by internationally trained doctors supported by highly-skilled patient-care personnel. This India’s first 1S0 9002 and ISO 14001 certified hospital has a success rate of 70 per cent in bone marrow transplant, and 99.6 per cent in heart surgeries. It has also received accreditation from the Joint Commission International USA and declared a ‘Centre of Excellence’ by the Government of India.

The hospital has won these accreditations on account of various firsts it has created

HOSPITAL PROFILES

Manipal Hospitals

Apollo Hospitals

Center Stage


in the medical history. For instance, the first donor incompatible kidney transplant using the column adsorption of blood group antibodies technique was performed here. It is also India’s first hospital to perform Birmingham hip resurfacing procedure, total knee replacement and the Illizarov procedure, as well as multi-organ and cord blood transplants in India.

Its innovative healthcare delivery model - Apollo Day Surgery - is the first-of-its-kind fully dedicated facility in Chennai to perform minor surgeries requiring short-stay. In a short span of few years, its centre for liver disease and transplantation has completed 100 liver transplantations with the success rate of over 90 per cent. Apollo Speciality Hospital has become Tamil Nadu’s first to launch ‘Movement Disorder Clinic’ in Chennai.

Global HospitalsAmong multi-speciality tertiary care hospitals, Global Hospitals Group is a renowned name that has India’s largest chain of multi-organ transplant centres founded in 1998 by Dr. K. Ravindranath. The Group has two hospitals in Hyderabad. Global Hospitals, located at Lakdi-ka-pul in Hyderabad, is a 200-bed facility offering tertiary level multi super-specialty care and multi-organ transplantation services. While Global Hospital, located at LB Nagar in Hyderabad, is a 300-bed multi super-specialty hospital. This hospital is not only NABH accredited, but also a HALAL certified hospital, which is equipped with advanced infrastructure, ultra-

modern equipment as well as state-of–the-art ICUs and OTs.

Global Hospitals also has presence in Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai. The group’s hospitals house various institutes such as advanced heart, lung & vascular institute; institute of minimal access & bariatric surgery; institute of liver, pancreas diseases & transplant; institute of neuro sciences & spinal disorders; institute of spine surgery; institute of orthopaedics, joint replacement & sports medicine; kidney institute; institute of urology; advanced centre for trauma & emergency care; institute of multi-organ transplant; cancer institute; institute of plastic,

reconstructive & cosmetic surgery; institute of ENT, head & neck surgery; advanced gastroenterology & therapeutic endoscopy; and institute of paediatrics.

LV Prasad Eye InstituteLocated at Banjara Hills in Hyderabad, LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) is a WHO Collaborating Centre for Prevention of Blindness that offers comprehensive eye health facility, which includes patient care, sight enhancement and rehabilitation services, and high-impact rural eye health programs. Governed by two

trusts - the Hyderabad Eye Institute and the Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation, LVPEI is a not-for-profit organisation and a Global Resource Center for VISION 2020: The Right to Sight initiative.

Since its inception in 1987, the institute is working towards providing equitable and efficient eye care to all sections of society. So far, it has provided secondary and primary care to over 2,000 villages. The Institute is also involved in cutting edge research and provides training for all levels of ophthalmic personnel; 13,250 eye care professionals have been trained from the institute. The Institute’s campus is accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH), while the LVPEI Eye Health Pyramid, its innovative and comprehensive approach to community eye health, serves as a model to India’s and other developing countries’ governments.

KG HospitalLocated at Arts College Road in Coimbatore, what was started in 1974 as a 25-bed hospital by leading industrialist and philanthropist K Govindasamy Naidu has now grown into a 200-bed multi-specialty high-tech KG Hospital. Today, this fully self-contained healthcare unit is nationally recognised as one of the finest medical centres in the country, offering a variety of world-class healthcare services at an affordable cost. It has thus become the beneficiary of the Prime Minister’s and Tamil Nadu

Global Hospitals

LV Prasad Eye Institute

Nominations Open!

6th Annual India Healthcare Excellence Awards 2014

19th September, 2014 | Taj Lands End, Mumbai

For more details, please contact:

Log on to: www.frost.com/hcawards2013 or Email: [email protected]

Special AwardLifetime Achievement AwardHealthcare Entrepreneur of the Year

Medical TechnologiesImaging Company of the YearIn-vitro Diagnostics Company of the YearHome Health Respiratory Solutions Company of the YearOrthopedic Implant Company of the YearCardiac Implant Company of the YearInnovation in Medical Technologies Company of the YearEndoscopy Solutions Company of the YearBiopsy Solutions Company of the YearVascular Access Solutions Company of the YearOperating Room Solutions Company of the YearMost Successful Product Launch of the Year

Healthcare DeliveryIVF Service Provider Company of the Year*Hair Restoration Service Provider Company of the Year*Diagnostic Service Provider Company of the Year*Eye Care Service Provider Company of the Year*Fitness Service Provider Company of the Year*Dialysis Service Provider Company of the Year*Mother and Child Service Provider Company of the Year*Comprehensive Cardiac Service Provider Company of the YearComprehensive Orthopedic Service Provider Company of the YearInnovative Healthcare Service Delivery Model of the Year

Pharmaceuticals and BiotechnologyMulti-National Pharmaceutical Company of the YearClinical Research Organization Company of the YearContract Research and Manufacturing Services Company of the YearBiopharma Company of the YearConsumer Healthcare Company of the YearBiosupplier Company of the YearPatient Access Program Company of the YearDiabetes Therapeutic Company of the YearOncology Company of the YearCardiovascular Disease Therapeutic Company of the YearMost Successful Brand Launch of the Year

MEDIA PARTNERS

Nominations Open!

6th Annual India Healthcare Excellence Awards 2014

19th September, 2014 | Taj Lands End, Mumbai

For more details, please contact:

Log on to: www.frost.com/hcawards2013 or Email: [email protected]

Special AwardLifetime Achievement AwardHealthcare Entrepreneur of the Year

Medical TechnologiesImaging Company of the YearIn-vitro Diagnostics Company of the YearHome Health Respiratory Solutions Company of the YearOrthopedic Implant Company of the YearCardiac Implant Company of the YearInnovation in Medical Technologies Company of the YearEndoscopy Solutions Company of the YearBiopsy Solutions Company of the YearVascular Access Solutions Company of the YearOperating Room Solutions Company of the YearMost Successful Product Launch of the Year

Healthcare DeliveryIVF Service Provider Company of the Year*Hair Restoration Service Provider Company of the Year*Diagnostic Service Provider Company of the Year*Eye Care Service Provider Company of the Year*Fitness Service Provider Company of the Year*Dialysis Service Provider Company of the Year*Mother and Child Service Provider Company of the Year*Comprehensive Cardiac Service Provider Company of the YearComprehensive Orthopedic Service Provider Company of the YearInnovative Healthcare Service Delivery Model of the Year

Pharmaceuticals and BiotechnologyMulti-National Pharmaceutical Company of the YearClinical Research Organization Company of the YearContract Research and Manufacturing Services Company of the YearBiopharma Company of the YearConsumer Healthcare Company of the YearBiosupplier Company of the YearPatient Access Program Company of the YearDiabetes Therapeutic Company of the YearOncology Company of the YearCardiovascular Disease Therapeutic Company of the YearMost Successful Brand Launch of the Year

MEDIA PARTNERS

Center Stage


Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.Equipped with some of

the latest technologies, such as the World’s Fastest and Asia’s First 128 Slice Heart CT Scanner, patients are served here by more the 250 doctors, 800 nurses and para-medical staff, available on call. Beside these, the Hospital also boasts 24-hours emergency and trauma care center, pharmacy, laboratory services and regional blood bank. In fact, for almost 200 hospitals located in Coimbatore and adjoining areas, it serves as a ‘Designated Blood Bank’. For its contribution in the field of medical research, the Government of India, Dr. MGR Medical University and National Board of Examination has also recognised the Hospital as a centre for nursing education and post graduate courses in 13 medical and super-specialities. Some of these are neuro surgery, orthopaedics, neurology and radio diagnosis, general medicine and general surgery.

Aster MedCityLocated in Kochi, Aster MedCity by DM Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. is a unique comprehensive healthcare institution that houses a 540-bed General Hospital and Emergency Centre, along with 9 Centres of Excellence (COEs). These COEs harmoniously integrate with the emergency and intensive care as well as other clinical and diagnostic facilities, to offer focused care by specialists in any given medical field.

This Rs. 21.5 billion project

is under way right now and once operational, will provide services in general medicine, pulmonology, endocrinology, dermatology, general surgery, ENT, ophthalmology and dental along with diabetology and health check-ups. Equipped with sophisticated technologies, such as advanced image guided intra-operative MR, the OTs have capabilities to conduct robotic and endoscopic surgeries in all disciplines. Other USPs of it includes a department of emergency medicine, backed by radio controlled rescue systems

and teams, along with a unique water ambulance system to serve special terrains of Kerala.

Beside these, Aster Clinical Support also includes a critical care unit, a diagnostic centre, day care centre, health check-up centre, and rehabilitation centre. While Aster Centres of Excellence include Aster Institute for Children, Aster Institute for Women, Aster Institute for Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, Aster Institute for Oncology, Aster Institute for Orthopaedics and Spine Surgery, Aster Institute for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Aster Institute for Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Aster Institute for Nephrology and Urology, and Aster Institute for Plastic and Aesthetics.

Narayana Multispecialty Hospital Strategically located near the Information Technology Park, Bangalore (ITPB), this 150-bed fully-equipped hospital at Whitefield offers multi-speciality care and treatment for varied acute and chronic conditions. Narayana Multi Speciality Hospital boasts of state-of-the-art cath lab and critical care units for heart attack, and a 19-bed dialysis unit and isolation dialysis for infected/high risk patients as well as two labour OTs. The USP of this hospital are the six neonatal intensive care units to treat preterm babies, and its dedicated ‘High Risk Pregnancy’ facility.Narayana Multi Speciality Hospital is specialised in neurosurgery, paediatrics,

Aster MedCity

Narayana Hrudayalaya

Center Stage


obstetrics & gynaecology, medical gastroenterology and orthopaedics, general medicine, general surgery. Beside these, the hospital also provides facilities in critical care, cardiology – adult, cardiology – paediatric, clinical nutrition & dietetics, dental sciences, dermatology & cosmetology, diabetology, ENT, nephrology, neurology, ophthalmology, physiotherapy & rehabilitation, plastic surgery, psychiatry & clinical psychology, pulmonology, radiology and urology. These facilities are supported by 24x7 services such as accident and emergency, lab & blood bank, diagnostic radiology including CT/MRI, X-Ray, ultrasound, and a complete obstetric care.

HCG HospitalsWith 27 cancer centres, 500 oncologists and over 3,000 employees serving more than 1,00,000 patients across the globe, HCG safely maintains its leadership position in cancer care in Asia.

It is accredited with NABL, NABH, DSIR, FDA, CAP and is ISO:9002 certified. It is also the first Indian hospital to win the Golden Peacock Award

– Innovation Management. Beside this, F&S Oncology Leader of the Year, a record in the Limca Book of Records for forming the largest human ribbon, and for creating the largest to-scale model of the lung, and a mention in the Harvard Business Review, are some of the accolades garnered by HCG.

One of its noted hospitals is the HCG Panda Cancer Centre located in Cuttack. It boosts two major OTs fitted with advanced surgical equipment, CO2 laser, C-ARM, Cobalt 60, HDR brachytherapy, Microscope, Strikers saw, Boyle’s apparatus, centrally operated suction, and centrally operated gas pipe.

In the field of surgical oncology, they are specialised in radical head and neck surgery, micro vascular surgery with reconstruction, CO2 laser surgery, colon rectal surgery, laparoscopic cancer surgery, gastrointestinal cancer surgery, gynaecology surgery, breast cancer surgery and reconstruction, urology and prostate cancer surgery. While in medical oncology, they provide chemotherapy, bio-therapy, targeted therapy, and metronomic therapy.

In radiation oncology, they provide linear accelerator (LINAC) with IMRT and 3DCRT, Cobalt-60, and HDR brachytherapy. The hospitals are supported by 24-hr pharmacies, in-house lab and CT scan facilities, 24-hr power back-up, X-Ray facilities, centralised water treatment plant, and ambulance services.

Aravind Eye HospitalsEstablished in the year 1976 in Madurai by Dr. Venkataswamy under the GOVEL Trust, from a humble beginning of just a 11-bed hospital and 4 medical officers, Aravind Eye Hospitals has now grown into a chain of hospitals, together accommodating more than 4,000 beds. The other 6 hospitals are located in Theni, Tirunelveli, Coimbatore, Pondicherry, Dindigul and Tirupur. Over the years, the organisation has not only grown in size but also evolved into a sophisticated system, ‘The Aravind Eye Care System’. Working on the principle of providing the same standard of services

to all sections of the society, and still being financially self-supporting, it serves as a model for India as well as the rest of the world in providing quality service for sight at affordable prices. Owing to high quality, large volume care, supported by a well-organised system, the hospitals manage to achieve this feat.The hospitals have well-equipped specialty clinics for retina & vitreouscataract, neuro ophthalmology, children eye care, orbit, oculoplasty & ocular, oncology, glaucoma, uvea, cornea, and low vision & visual rehabilitation. Backed by comprehensive support facilities, Aravind Eye Hospitals accounts for 5 per cent of the ophthalmic surgeries performed nationwide. In 2013 itself, the hospitals have treated 3.1 million outpatients and performed over 3,70,000 surgeries. To serve the ophthalmic needs of a semi urban population, Aravind Eye Hospitals has established its primary eye care facility, ‘Vision Centres’, the community eye clinics in the rural areas of Tamil Nadu.

Aravind Eye Hospital HCG Hospitals

Strategy


By: Vivek Shukla

As I sit down to write the second article on of the series –

Story of Champion Teams, I can’t help but think about the spectacle of teamwork the world witnessed in the football stadiums of Brazil. The best teams in the sport had converged in to display immaculate teamwork and strategy execution.

What makes these teams great? What makes any team great? Is it just talent? Is it

leadership? Is it just luck? Is it unity? Let us take a closer look.

No distanceOne of the outstanding features of great teams is what I call – ‘no distance’. There seems to be no distance amongst the members on professional as well as personal fronts. If you notice, any team, whether doctors, or multi-functional, will have some areas where there are disagreements. At the end of the day, these disagreements

turn into disgruntled team members. Members then keep thinking about each other, dismissing their behavior and ideology. Initially it happens in thoughts and then it comes out in the open as gossip and backbiting. So, what starts as a little distance, blows up and becomes a wide divide.

Champion teams recognise the importance of bridging the distance as soon as it arises at the thought level. The members or the leader of the team bring the differences in the open amongst the relevant

Story of Champion Teams – II A winning team is not built in a day, and doesn’t stay a winning team forever; it’s a never ending work in progress

It is OK to get your ideas shot down

at times; too much fondness towards a thought or an idea

can lead to distance

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Strategy


people and deal with them till they are resolved. This is something that human beings are not naturally adept at. Needless to say, it is an acquired skill. But a very important one. It is not necessary nor is it possible for everyone to agree at every point and idea. However, by speaking about it in a way that moves things forward, the teams are able to create ‘proactive consensus’ and eliminate the distance.

An example that I often quote from my sports days is – There were times when we would not agree with our cricket team captain as to whether we should choose to bat or to bowl after winning the toss. At this juncture, during the team meeting, the coach would take every differing opinion and logic and then talk about how winning the game is more important than deciding whether to bat or bowl. After a while, everyone would proactively align themselves

to either of the decision irrespective of whether they agreed or not. ‘No distance’ was created in spite of the members disagreeing. No one had hard feelings and negative thoughts about anyone. One would say – I don’t agree with this logic, however, since this is what the team has decided, I am giving up attachment to my point of view and committing myself to what is important to the team.This leads me to say that in teams, every member has to be ready to proverbially – sometimes kill his own babies. Members know that their ideas will be shot down

sometimes. That should be OK with them. Too much fondness towards a thought or an idea can lead to distance.

Ground rulesThe culture of champion teams is built carefully on consciously-created ground rules. For example, one hospital quality team prides itself in starting all meeting on time with all members present. A marketing team has created a rule of answering all missed calls within 24 hours and all emails within 48 hours. One more team took up not talking or discussing a person in his absence. All

Leaders of teams must work towards

belonging to the group, it’s the only access to extract 100% from each

member

Strategy


great teams have a group of such rules that are the cornerstones of the culture of that team. The rules and culture are sacrosanct. There are rarely any exceptions. Any variance in the agreed culture is brought out in the open and discussed till it is resolved for everyone. Everyone is clear about what the rules are and what the consequences of flouting them are.

The person who leads the team is a crucial component for its success. He sets the direction, goals, pace, values and various ground rules. He has an acute sense of what is going on in the minds of people and in the overall team. He is usually someone who has equipped himself through his words and his actions to impact the way people think and act. Most importantly, he ‘belongs’ to the team. They see him as one of their own. They connect with him. This gives him access to impact their thoughts and thus behavior. Leaders of teams must work

towards belonging to the group. That is the only access to extract 100 per cent from each member. Incentives and rewards run their course too soon and after a while have no juice left in them. It’s ultimately up to the leader to have the team gunning for its goals incessantly.

Celebrating successChampion teams celebrate success. It may be individual success or the success of the team, celebrations inevitably follow. People relish each

other’s success. On the other hand, each failure is analysed. The motive is not to attribute the failure to an individual or a group. It is to find out what did not work collectively for the team and put corrective measures in place.

Success is defined for each member. They know what they will end up with if they continue to stick around and help the team to win. How many of us have gone through the next two-year career plan for each of our team members? How many of us have helped the members to list what skills and attributes will be added to them as a result of working in our teams? This crucial exercise should be done every once in a while.

Winning teams are not built in a day. And when you manage to build one, it doesn’t stay a winning team forever. It’s a never ending work in progress. But the rewards are fulfilling and everlasting. An endeavor worth pursuing.

Vivek Shukla specialises in

healthcare strategy, business

growth, branding, marketing,

sales, and operational

excellence. Currently, he is

the AGM & Head-Marketing at

DM Healthcare, UAE, where

he is leading the creation

and execution of revenue and

market share enhancement

initiatives for the group’s clinics

and hospitals.

It is vital to give up attachment

to your individual point of view and

committing yourself to what is important

to the team

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Highest Online Reach0360 Advertising Options

Premier Event Participation

Proling of Industry Big Wigs &

Maximum Visibility for your Brand

To associate with us, contact: Mr. Bhupesh Tewari at: +91 9718350415 or write to us at: [email protected]

Safety First


By: Dr. Nikhil Datar

Richie Williams was young boy of 12. He was suffering from

leukemia (blood cancer) and was undergoing treatment

at the Great Ormand Street Children’s Hospital which specialised in treating such patients. Richie used to receive anti-cancer medicines in a cyclical manner. He used to go to the hospital on a pre-scheduled day to receive his dose of chemotherapy. They used to give him a dose of injection Vincristine by intravenous route. Another dose of injection methotrexate would be injected intra-thecally (injection between the spaces in the back bone, typically called as spinal injection). Being young, Richie used to get a small dose of sedative first and then the spinal injection would be given to him. He was doing well and recovering fast. In fact, he

was almost at the end of the chemotherapy regime.

In the month of July 1997, Richie as usual went to the hospital. He was always instructed to come ‘Nil by mouth’ (empty stomach) to the hospital. On that day in the morning someone offered him a cookie. The young boy simply could not resist it and quickly ate it. Richie got admitted as usual to the chemotherapy ward. Dr. Murphy was on his morning rounds and saw Richie in the ward. Dr. Murphy was a senior doctor working at the hematology department of the Great Armond Street Children’s Hospital. “Hi Richie! How are you doing today?” he asked Richie.

A Trial on Error Errors and mishaps in a hospital set-up that lead to harm, have dual effects; on patients as well as on the clinicians

Safety First

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“Thanks, Doc. I am fine. But I want to make one confession. I have eaten a cookie just on my way,” Richie said. Now Dr. Murphy was in a fix. Riche’s appointment was scheduled for long. Since Richie was not ‘Nil By mouth’, it was risky to give me the sedative. Since sedative could not be given, the spinal injection and the dose could not be given. There was no point in rescheduling the appointment as Richie’s school examination was approaching. Too much of delay would surely have been detrimental to Richie’s recovery. Richie’s parents were co-operative. They understood the problem. It was decided that Richie should be brought in at 4 pm on the same day. This elective procedure could be done ‘in emergency hours’ after 4 pm.

The blunderRichie came in at 4 pm as decided. He had to be admitted in another ward as the hematology ward was not vacant. In emergency

hours, Richie was sent to the operation theater for the spinal injection. By that time, Dr. Murphy was off duty. Dr. Lee was on the duty. Dr. Lee was known to be a studious doctor and was very popular amongst his patients for his empathetic reassuring approach. He was senior to Dr. Murphy and was an expert in paediatric anaesthesiology. He had given many such injections in the past. Dr. Lee phoned Dr. Murphy who was off duty to check whether there was anything specific he had to take care of, while doing the job. Dr. Murphy said, “Well, it is a straight forward spinal injection and that’s it”. This was completely true!

Dr. Lee started the procedure. He carefully cross checked the consent and the identity of the patient. He swiftly gave a small dose of medicine to put Richie to sleep. Vigilantly, he changed Richie’s body position and made him lie on the side. He confirmed that the oxygen saturation

of the Riche’s blood was well maintained and started applying the antiseptic solution to the back to prepare the part for the spinal injection. He had already told the senior staff nurse to check the expiry date on the injection. The nurse also confirmed that the injection was meant for the same patient Richie Williams. The doctor’s needle swiftly entered the space where it had to be in the first shot. The nurse handed over the syringe to Dr. Lee who attached it to the needle and off went the medicine in the spinal space. He carefully changed the patient’s position. As soon as this was done, the nurse came running frantically. She said, “Dr. Lee, I found one more injection in the name of the patient Richie”. And Dr. Lee was dumb stuck. “One more injection?” he cried loud. Dr. Lee confirmed it. It was true. The injection read “Injection Methotrexate. Richie Williams”. Dr. Lee realised what had happened. The injection which should

The WHO is now looking at something

called as “Second victims of patient safety accidents”

Patient deaths can be a result of series of mishaps and failings in the hospital systems, rather than gross

negligence

Safety First


have been given by intravenous route (via the vein in the hand) had been given in the spine.

Dr. Lee was shattered when he realised what the blunder was. The staff started running helter-skelter under tremendous stress. Senior doctors were contacted. The outcome was clear… the spinal cord almost dissolves when vincristine in that dose is given in to the spine. Richie’s death was inevitable now. The doctors tried everything that was possible to save him. Dr. Lee was sitting next to Richie personally monitoring the condition. Richie died. The medicine that was supposed to cure him of the cancer had killed him!

The police arrested Dr. Lee and Dr. Murphy under the charges of manslaughter. The media and news channels started bombarding the news. Some called the doctors criminals, murderers, monsters who should be hanged to death. Those doctors and patients who knew Dr. Lee were talking about him. Some still said that he had a great track record. Some held him negligent and responsible for the death. Some said that it was a sad and unfortunate event. Some senior doctors

criticised “the juniors” for impatience and gave examples of their “days” and “how they used to work in the past”.

The Trial that followedThe trial started in the court.

Professor Alan Aitkenhead, Head of the Department of Anaethesiology from Nottingham University was appointed as an expert. He made elaborate inquiry in the incidence. The incidence had its roots into multiple small incidences, facts and errors. It all started from the fact that Richie had eaten the biscuit due to which the case had to be postponed. He was admitted at 4 pm in another ward as there was no vacancy in the hematology ward. It was the policy of the hospital to first give the vincristine injection in the ward itself, so that only one injection would reach the operation theater. On that day, the nurse in charge of the general ward where Richie was admitted was not aware of this policy. She sent both injections to the operation theater. The staff in the operation theater and Dr. Lee could have not have even imagined that such a thing would have happened. It was true that if he would have carefully gone through all

the case papers he could have understood it. But he believed his colleagues and assistants with whom he worked all these years. It was found that the same mistake or error had happened across the world on 15 different occasions in different hospitals so far.

The court ultimately decided the matter. The court considered that the crime of manslaughter could not be made out. The court concluded that the death was a result of series of mishaps and failings in the hospital systems rather than gross negligence. The error on the part of Dr. Lee was in the end of the chain of multiple lapses. The court absolved Dr. Lee from the charges of criminal negligence and the civil case continued further. The hospital had already removed Dr. Lee from the job. At a later date, the hospital struck out of court settlement by paying exemplary compensation to the parents.

Dr. Lee’s dreams were totally shattered. He could not come out from the trauma. He could not imagine that he was instrumental in killing one of his patients. Ultimately he left the United Kingdom. Few years later, he committed suicide.

The incidence had claimed not one but two lives! The WHO is now looking at healthcare professionals involved in such incidences as “Second victims of patient safety accidents”.

Friends! What do you think after reading this true story? Whose mistake was it? Was it a human error? Or defective system? Or just an outcome of an unlucky day? Tell me your comments and thoughts.

Write to me at: [email protected]

About the author Dr. Nikhil Datar is a Senior Gynaecologist based in the western suburbs of Mumbai. He is well known for the legal battle he fought for his patient challenging the abortion law of the country in 2008. He was recently interviewed by Aamir Khan on ‘Satyamev Jayate’ for his exemplary work on developing protocols for examining rape victims.Dr. Datar is the recipient of the prestigious Commonwealth professional fellowship (UK), American Austrian foundation fellowship for health and human rights (Austria), and Dr. BN Purandare gold medal. He is the Founder President of the Patient Safety Alliance, which is an NGO that empowers patients and supports healthcare providers to prevent medical errors.


Industry Trends

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Homecare Opens New Doors for Nurses

By: Usha Prabhakar

There was a human touch in the way she dealt with people.

Striking an emotional chord with others had always been such an effortless thing for her. This is how Sunidhi Ramanathan was – affectionate and caring, polite and loving. Therefore, when she had to zero in on a career, nursing was a natural choice.

Being a nurse would allow her to be herself, she thought. Her gregarious self, she presumed, would let her excel in her profession too, as it required serving patients who, on top of everything else, would need a lot of emotional support to be able to fight with their health conditions. She, inarguably, was very good at it.

With all that in mind, Ms Ramanathan went ahead to

pursue nursing. After her graduation, she was excited to join a hospital and put her theoretical knowledge into practical use, as also lend support to patients and help them deal with their health problems.

But there was more to what Ms Ramanathan had thought. In her role as a nurse in the hospital, she had a diversified work profile, which required her to look after patients,

Home healthcare is gaining momentum in India, and it seems to be a favorable trend for nurses


Industry Trends

keep their records, take care of drugs’ availability and their storage, doctors’ round and housekeeping, among umpteen other things.

Initially, she put in extra efforts to fulfill all the responsibilities without being stressed, and drew a lot of satisfaction out of it. The excitement, however, started to wane with the passage of time. She had 15 patients to take care of and the other responsibilities to be met started taking a toll on her mental health. Ms Ramanathan found that she had more on her plate than she could handle. What was adding to her woes was her inability to interact with her patients and give them more time – all this in the face of excess workload.

Though her doctors and team were very supportive, Ms Ramanathan felt that she was not being true to her job, especially to her patients, who demanded her undivided and individual attention. However, there was no option, she thought, and that she would

have to continue like that – not too satisfied, yet carry on with her ‘monotonous’ job. Just when she thought it was the end of the road, she stumbled upon an opportunity that changed the course of her professional life.

Ramanathan’s senior recommended her for a job in a home healthcare organisation. Apprehensive initially about how a nurse would fit in such a company, she went for an interview. What came next was her appointment with the company the very next week. A nursing-led company, Ramanathan was more than convinced about the growth and myriad opportunities that would come her way while being with such an organisation. However, the fact that she will be able to spend more time to spend with patients remained the primary reason for her to join. Ms. Ramanathan knew this is what she was looking for. Suddenly, her job gave her a purpose, a purpose of doing something for others.

Exciting new avenue for nursesPatient-centric nursing & professional satisfaction: Nurses’ first and foremost aim is to ‘take care’ of their patients. But the large number of patients they have to look after in hospitals sometimes bogs them down. Though the intention is always to be by their patients’ side, nurses find it difficult to actually do so. Again the work pressure. Homecare service providers usually assign less patients to their nurses with a view to ensuring maximum and undivided attention to those in need. Mostly, the number is as less as one patient. When the number of patients is less, the scope of interaction with the patient and the care that could be provided is invariably high. The feeling of doing the core job of nursing, i.e. taking care of patients boosts nurses’ professional satisfaction level. Besides, they also find time to impart health education to patients, inform them about the treatment being followed and do their counseling. Being associated with homecare service provider is the extension of what nurses learn during their stint at a hospital and practice those individually. Autonomous working & decision-making: In hospitals, nurses are usually very well protected by their doctors. Undoubtedly, it is good. However, such a thing in the long run makes the nurses dependent and in critical situations they are unable to take decisions. The case is different with homecare service providing companies. The treating doctor is always kept in the loop and the treatment is purely based

Homecare service providers usually

assign less patients to their nurses to

ensure maximum & undivided attention


Industry Trends

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on his/her prescription, but here the doctor is not present physically. So, all the decisions which have to be taken in the event of any problem that arise while administering the treatment is solely on the shoulders of the nurse. When such a situation is dealt with successfully, the outcome is increased self confidence. It not only sharpens their decision-making skills, but also clinical skills. Getting armed with skills of handling critical situations independently adds to their professional worth and growth.Learning, training & high exposure: Usually, home healthcare companies hire nurses with some minimum experience of having worked with a hospital. The basic understanding of work is one of the pre-requisites. After that, the aim is to polish their skills for homecare environment. After the recruitment process is over, most organisations give the nurses a homecare training course, which can consist of a nurse refresher course, a course for each homecare training and IT training and probably a course where in pay shadow visits the patients’ home while assisting trained nurses.

HealthCare At Home also does such scenario-based training in partnership with Berkley HealthEDU; at the end of which, a competency check is performed.

Apart from the training, nurses also get exposed to all kinds of patients ranging from cancer (oncology), heart (cardiology), orthopedics, critical care, bariatric, post-operative, mother and child care to elderly care, home pulmonolgy, IVF, infertility, home dialysis and diabetic (VAC dressing).

Such a vast exposure expands their learning curve and they gain insight into dealing with patients with varied ailments. They later on have the choice to choose the specialisation depending upon their choice of field. This cements their career prospects as well.Financial satisfaction & growth prospects: Job benefits apart from work remuneration are a way to make employees feel cared for. At HealthCare at Home, we offer additional incentives like insurance, pension and provident fund. If there is any overtime, nurses are compensated for it monetarily.

The salary also is better than what is offered elsewhere. On employee and patient referrals too, they are rewarded. Also, if a nurse holds extra qualification, then on every extra degree or diploma, incentive is paid to them. Besides, there is a policy in place for permanent promotions. Hierarchy wise, nurses can become nursing directors and they can even get elevated to the level of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) due to the availability of cross-sectional opportunities. As HealthCare at Home is planning to go pan-India in the next two years and set up operations abroad, our nurses will also gain experience of handling different territories apart from handling different kinds of patients. So, the exposure they will gain is huge.

While hospitals are the ultimate calling for nurses, the concept of homecare services is another area that ensures promising careers for nurses.

While hospitals are always a training ground, homecare services is turning out to be a new professional arena to enhance and sharpen skills. For nurses, now there is more than hospitals!

Nurses’ first and foremost aim is to ‘take care’ of their

patients

About the author Usha Prabhakar is the Nursing Director at HealthCare at Home. She did her BSc (HONS) Nursing from AIIMS, New Delhi. She has 18 years of clinical and teaching experience in nursing including five years in NHS UK. She is the Ex Nursing superintendent of Dharamshila Hospital & Research Centre, Delhi and Assistant Nursing superintendent at Rockland Hospital, Delhi. She’s also had numerous nursing publications in TNJI.

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Allengers Medical Systems Ltd., a Chandigarh-

based medical equipment manufacturing company, has been a market leader for X-ray-based imaging for the last 27 years, and is the acknowledged technological leader in mobile C-arms and

X-ray systems. As a specialist in the field of diagnostic range of medical products, Allengers C-Arms have always been appreciated for its excellent quality and have been the first choice of many specialists.

A trusted brandFrom a modest beginning in 1987, Allengers’ brand name and trust has been established at regional, national and international levels with exports crossing over to more than 70 countries. Presently, the company has the largest market share of approximately 36.5 per cent in the domestic market, as per statistics of a world renowned research organisation.

Allengers has the honor to be adjudged not only on the national level, but also at the international level with awards like National Award - Quality Products from the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, National Award - Distinguished Entrepreneurship from the President of India, Export Excellence Awards, PHD Chamber Award, Century International Quality Era Award on the lines of QC100, etc. to name a few. Allengers has also been recognised as the Star Export House and was

recently assigned rating A by CRISIL with a stable outlook.

Largest manufacturing set-upAllengers has the largest manufacturing set up in India, spread over an area of 45,000 sq. mtrs, equipped with the most modern manufacturing and testing facilities, in house R&D and QC set ups to manufacture customised systems. More than 60 R&D engineers are working to develop indigenous technology suiting to Indian conditions and due to this, a lot of “firsts” are attached with the brand of Allengers, like:• FirstIndiancompanyto

develop HF X-Ray Machine• FirstIndiancompanyto

develop Mobile and Fixed Cath Labs, and

• FirstIndiancompanytodevelop Mobile DR system

An Indian MNC with Big Growth PotentialBeing a quality conscious organisation, Allengers endlessly endeavors to maintain international quality standards in its manufacturing processes

Allengers Mobile DR (Mobilx DR)

Suresh Sharma, CMD, Allengers Group of Companies

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With its innovative solutions, Allengers

is playing a significant role

in the rapid development of

digital X-ray

Allengers’ excellent business success, to a great extent, helps in tackling India’s unemployment problem by generating more job opportunities. The company currently employs more than 1,300 people.

With its innovative solutions, Allengers is playing a significant role in the rapid development of digital X-ray, i.e. the DR (digital radiography) systems.

Dynamic range of productsApart from a specialised range of DR Systems and C-Arms, Allengers’ vast and dynamic range of medical products include: X-Ray Systems, Cath Labs, Mammography Systems, DSA Systems, RF Table, OPG, Lithotripter (E.S.W.L), TMT, ECG, Monitors, EEG, EMG, PSG, HIS and PACS. Allengers’ product profile caters to various medical applications like radiology, cardiology, orthopedics,

gastroenterology, urology, neurology, and many more, which are all CE certified.Four main principles drive Allengers to serve much better:1. Keeping the best quality

with reasonable prices2. Developing and searching

new products to meet the fast changing market

3. Providing satisfied services for the demands of our customers

4. Customers’ satisfaction and continuing support (this is the most important aspect for the company)

Quality conscious Being a quality conscious organisation, Allengers endlessly endeavors to maintain international quality standards in its manufacturing processes. The company manufactures medical equipment, which are well tested and verified before dispatching them at the customers’ end. The

company’s equipment has earned immense credibility in the industry, owing to their unmatched quality, reliable operations and efficient performance. Allengers Medical Systems Ltd. is the parent company, and has three sister concerns, namely:• AllengersGlobalHealthcare

(for ECG, monitors, EEG, EMG, PSG, TMT)

• AllengersInfotech(forITbased healthcare products like HMS, LIS, PACS)

• AllengersCareFoundation(for implementing the company’s social causes)

Wide networkThe Allengers Group, which comprises of the above four companies is headed by Mr. Suresh Sharma as the Chairman and Managing Director. Allengers has a wide spread sales and service network. Allengers’ presence is spread in large numbers of corporate/large hospitals like Max, Fortis, B.L. Kapur, Sarvodaya, Mahajan Imaging, Rockland, PGIMER, AIIMS, JIPMER, SGPGI, B.P. Poddar, Aditya, Woodland, Kothari, Narayana Hrudayalaya, KEM, Karuna, J.J, Apollo, Care, NIMHANS, HOSMAT, JIPMER, and many more. This wide network also speaks volumes about brand of Allengers. Their consultative approach allows them to better understand the customers’ needs. As per their customers, they are truly an ‘Indian MNC’ in the making.Keeping in mind their corporate slogan, “Passion for excellence”, they aim to develop into a true global business, one that is respected around the world.

Allengers Full Field Digital Mammography (FFDM) Fairy DR


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In a detailed conversation with Mr. Kalyanaraman S, General Manager,

Marketing and Corporate Accounts, CURA Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., he tells Health Biz India what makes CURA a market leader.

What do you think about the medical device market in India? With the emergence of a well-to-do middle class, India is embracing a population that is living their dreams like never before. Medical technology market in India has been steadily growing and is immune to economic market dynamics. Accessibility to healthcare has improved multifold, however, quality and specialised healthcare is still confined to large cities, with rural India still living without access to decent healthcare due to lack of accessibility to cost effective technologies.

Where do we stand as compared to our global counterparts?Compared to worldwide healthcare consumption, Indian healthcare expenditure constitutes only 1% of the global healthcare spending, but it is home to 17% of the world’s population. This obviously brings forth huge growth potential for the industry here. Trend has changed than what

was a decade ago. Now, the Western world looks at East for its growth and consumption. Though we are yet import dependent for technologies, hopefully, the situation will change in another decade. As compared to global counterparts, we need to improve in the areas of innovation, customised solutions for tier 2 and 3 markets, regulatory policies encouraging indigenisation, etc.

What is the USP of CURA Healthcare? CURA is today a professionally-managed company and places high focus on driving strong customer relationships by delivering lower cost of ownership and maximising the lifetime value for its customers. Ear to ground approach, understanding clinicians’ need and offering customised solutions combined with industry-best after sales service support 24x7 are few

USPs of CURA. CURA also boasts of 97.5%

uptime, 24x7, across regions and solutions.

You have now got a fresh round of funding, how do you plan to utilise it?The medical equipment manufacturing sector in India is still at a very nascent stage as more than 85% of our requirements are met by imports. We strongly believe that India will follow the same path as China wherein large, indigenous manufacturers of medical equipment have emerged over the past decade. With the government focusing on boosting the manufacturing sector in India, CURA with its strong manufacturing, distribution and service infrastructure is well positioned to capitalise on this opportunity.

With fresh funding, we will be focusing on scaling up economies of Digital Radiography systems. Besides this, CURA plans to manufacture top-of-the-line Mobile Computer Radiography Systems which offer high quality X-ray at the bed side of patients. Inorganic growth through acquisitions and expanding its product portfolio in adjacent spaces and making footprint in emerging markets of the world with own manufactured solutions is also on the anvil.

‘We are focusing on our differentiating factors’CURA is consolidating & expanding its imaging solutions

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CURA recently announced that it will launch a slew of patented medical equipment to address the domestic market. Kindly shed more light on this. As mentioned above, we will be expanding our current offerings in DR, CR and HF x-ray systems, bringing newer solutions in DR with mammography, PET CT etc; scaling/up-gradation of pre-owned imaging diagnostics solution. Recently, we have acquired Concept Integrations, a Pune-based Cardiac and Critical Care solutions manufacturing facility. Thus, we are now entering critical care device space as well. We have also launched Ultrasound systems.

Tell us about your manufacturing processes? CURA has two facilities at Chennai and recently acquired Concept Integrations at Pune. At Chennai, facility in MEPZ SEZ (Madras Export Processing Zone, Special Economic Zone) campus is focused on manufacturing Digital Radiography, Mobile CRs, HF X-ray systems along with accessories such as Bucky table, X-ray table. It adheres to international standards, is ISO 13485 certified and the CE certification is under process.

Another facility is outside this campus, which focuses on pre-owned equipment processing. We adhere to COCIR framework and bring end to end best in class pre-owned hi-end imaging diagnostics solutions including single and multi-slice CT, permanent magnet and Supercon MRI, Mammography and BMD systems. The facility also houses PCB and tube

repair facility. This is country’s first of its kind facility for pre-owned equipment. Concept Integrations, Pune, focuses on cardiac and critical care solutions.

Many companies have struggled to manufacture products in-house. How did CURA overcome the hurdles and succeeded? As rightly pointed out by you, it has not been smooth ride for CURA too. Perseverance and determination to bring world class, cost effective solutions to make healthcare accessible made us reach at the present level. We work more towards bringing “India-fit” solutions and add value to the solutions than mere selling products.

Unlike available solutions, we have addressed few challenges faced by Indian healthcare providers such as electricity, space and product life cycle cost. We have brought solutions which works at NO POWER yet provide optimum output like 400mA X-ray output using just 15amps power as against requirement of 30-40KW.

This brings down overall cost of a radiology department. Similarly, we have re-designed our DR system so that space utilisation can be reduced by close to 70 sq.ft. Though

70 sq.ft looks small, please remember, a radiology department is usually situated in ground floor and is in premium space. If you saving such a space, then it can be used for more valuable services within the institute. Similarly, few other solutions work in our favour. Innovative thinking and offering value added solution has so far helped us.

Which locations in India do you currently cater to? We cater pan India. We have 21 service offices strategically located across India. Our client list includes best of the best hospitals such as Apollo, SRMCH, MIOT, Max, Tata Memorial, SCT, SGPGI, Vaidehi, etc. We have strong presence in TN Government hospitals. Overall, we have over 600 installations across country in premier institutes.

What are the company’s plans for the next 10 years? To consolidate and expand in Imaging Diagnostics space with more technologically advanced solutions. Also expansion is planned in cardiac and critical care solutions. Our focus is to offer Best Service and we are working on such service models which will be the differentiating factor in industry.

Our focus is to offer Best Service and

we are working on such service models

which will be the differentiating factor

in industry


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LED lighting technology has come a long way since its inception in

the late 1990s. Recent years have witnessed the high functionality of LED OT lights. By combining in-depth manufacturing competence with innovative ideas – Technomed is committed in manufacturing fully-featured, future-proof Surgical Operating Lights/Tables that are bound to satisfy all of the hygienic and practical requirements of surgical procedures.

Technomed – with the able support of its respected surgeons/end users – has now reached at a stage of leaving behind ‘Halogen’ and moving ahead with surgeons’ choice of ‘LED’ – with “3 – FINS” to “10 – FINS” giving 40,000 to 2,70,000 Lux and which can be placed on ceiling or can be mobile and also wall mounted.

Technomed LED has passed through various tests and is very much confident to maintain that familiar smile on the faces of its respected clients – the surgeons.

The detailingTechnomed LED OT lights are available in triangular/pentagonal/and hexagonal shapes. The lights maximise the field of illumination and their optimised illumination depth

offers impeccable viewing conditions. These lights are made of lightweight aluminium, and hence the nimble body and suspension arms are sleek and easy to reposition. The screen is made of scratch-proof and toughened glass to ensure the finest of light emission throughout its working life.

Technomed, through its multi-coloured and single colour LED surgical lights, ensures a flawlessly lit medical working environment. With flexible ceiling-mounted supply unit that comes with modular elements like special support arm system that can be reconfigured as desired even after installation, these lights guarantee to throw the best light onto your examinations.

A better viewIn its LED lights, Technomed has introduced the unique “multi-lens matrix” that provides excellent distribution of light and at the same time, ensures

homogeneous illumination of the operating area, as it’s very important to keep entire operating area clearly visible. Its innovative shadow management control helps surgeons to get a better view during deep cavity procedures, such as deep, narrow wounds.

Additionally, Technomed provides special two hours training to the OT staff during installation of every OT Table and OT Light – explaining the important steps to be taken before and after every surgery.

Quality assuranceClients from different corners of the country have acclaimed Technomed’s products for their performance, thanks to its seamless, sealed construction and its scratchproof, easy-to-clean safety glass. This is thanks to the strict quality parameters of Technomed, due to which the company undergoes certified manufacturing processes. Not only they have quality assurance, but also an extended after sale service that is guaranteed for many years after purchase. Technomed has many years of expertise and unmatched strengths in technical innovation that has helped it carve a niche among leading global surgical LED light manufacturers.

Technomed updates LED Surgical OT Light Not only does Technomed has strict quality assurance, but also an extended after sale service that is guaranteed for many years after purchase

Manoj Kumar, CEO, Technomed India

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Through a strong commitment to innovation and

precision of parameters, Nihon Kohden is well positioned to deliver new technologies that will propel advancements and lay the foundation for the future of patient-focused care. Strong focus on qualityOn August 7, 1951, Nihon Kohden was founded with the goal of Fighting Disease with Electronics. With more than 60 years’ innovations and product development, Nihon Kohden has become one of the significant global medical equipment manufacturers and one of the largest Japanese medical devices providers. The company’s success has been deeply rooted in its commitment to invest in R&D every year for continuous innovative product development. Nihon Kohden R&D centers, scientists and engineers are working towards innovations and regular improvisation of technology.

Nihon Kohden Corporation is always focusing on providing quality medical services for the Indian market; since India with world’s second largest population has become one of the most important global economic propellers.

In order to further deliver better healthcare solutions for clients in India, from pre-sales to customer services, Nihon Kohden Corporation Japan had set the Indian subsidiary in April 2011 as Nihon Kohden India Pvt. Ltd. By its endless pursuits for high quality and technology, the company’s products have always gained good recognition and reputation in the Indian market.

Growing business in IndiaIn a short period of just

39 month’s operation, the company has got fantastic business from all segment of customers including many prestigious hospitals like All India institute of Medical Sciences – New Delhi, JIPMER- Puducherry, Apollo Group of Hospitals, Ruby Hall Clinic - Pune, Prince Aly Khan Hospital - Mumbai, MIOT Hospital - Chennai, Fortis Healthcare – Gurgaon, Paras Healthcare – Gurgaon, Delhi, Patna; Madras Medical Mission - Chennai, SCTIMST- Thiruvananthapuram,

A Commitment to Innovation & Precision With more than 60 years’ innovations & product development, Nihon Kohden has become one of the significant global medical equipment manufacturers

Anil Srivastava, National Sales Manager-Medical Equipment, Nihon Kohden India


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Christian Medical Collage- Ludhiana, Dayanand Medical Collage - Ludhiana , BL Kapur Hospital - Delhi, Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences - Trivandrum, Narayana Hrudayalaya - Bangalore, Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences - Hyderabad, KLE Group of Hospitals - Belgaum, Manipal Group of Hospitals - Bangalore, Neotia Healthcare - Kolkata, Bhartiya Vidyapeeth Hospital – Pune, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology, Trivandrum, to name a few.

Awards & recognitionsDr. Takuo Aoyagi, Ph.D., a Nihon Kohden employee and the inventor of the clinical measurement called Pulse Oximetry in 1972 received the “Gravenstein Lifetime Achievement Award” for his significant contributions to world-wide healthcare. Dr. Aoyagi received the award on January 11, 2013 at the Society for Technology in

Anesthesia (STA) Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. The Society of Technology in Anesthesia is recognised as one of the top medical meetings in the United States for inventors and innovators of medical technology.Nihon Kohden intends to keep growing as a leading medical electronic equipment company. Their company mottos are:• To develop innovative

products based on its engineering specialty, the human-machine interface.

• Continue to develop competitive, high quality products in its core market areas.

• Use its strong distribution network and experience in the medical equipment industry to expand into a wider range of markets.

Product rangeNihon Kohden currently offers more than 35 products across three business segments including:

• Patient monitoring devices and life support products

• In-vitro diagnostic instruments

• Neurology diagnostic equipmentNihon Kohden recently

launched the esCCO, a novel technology to non-invasively measure continuous cardiac output from ECG and SpO2. esCCO is a new technology to determine the cardiac output –continuously using Pulse Wave Transit Time (PWTT) which is obtained by the pulse oximetry and ECG signals from each cycle of the ECG and peripheral pulse wave. esCCO provides real-time, continuous and non-invasive cardiac output measurement. Ease of operating and ease of access to the technology will be the key in future, believes Nihon Kohden.

Also, with its investment in research and development, quality has always been the company’s first priority. As a medical equipment manufacturer, the quality of its products is not only vital for a patient’s life but is also a vital part of the Japanese quality culture.

“We are very confident that our growing comprehensive portfolio of high-quality, high-technology, easy to use and affordable products will allow Nihon Kohden to continue growing market share in India and globally. We thank our customers for their continued support and for the confidence that they have placed in us. We are fully confident that Nihon Kohden will play more significant role in Indian market in coming years,” says Anil Srivastava, National Sales Manager-Medical Equipment, Nihon Kohden India.

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Nishika Enterprises was incorporated in 1992 with the aim to cater

to the healthcare industry. The company is credited to have launched Melto-Plus Syringe Needle Destroyers for the first time in India in 1992.

Nishika subsequently became the foremost company to provide Bio Medical Waste Handling Solutions. With the introduction of wide range of Sharp Containers in India in 2002, Nishika Enterprises created a niche space for itself.

Country wide presenceToday, the company has a

country wide presence with a number of Government/Private and Corporate Hospitals giving Nishika a chance to serve them. Their list of satisfied clients speaks for itself about the company’s commitment for excellence. Nishika Enterprises is spreading wings to attain greater heights in future.

The quality of their products and prices makes them the first choice forthe healthcare sector and gives stiff competition to their competitors and night flyers, if any.

The company’s USP is: Best quality, lowest price.

Brands Their brand namesDISPOSAFE™ for Sharp Containers and GARBICARE™ for Waste Bins, Trolleys are synonyms for quality. They are in rate contract with many Government and Corporate Hospitals. Currently, Nishika has more than 100 products to offer.

The company looks forward to increasing the range of its products in the coming time and look forward to becoming the most talked about company in field of Bio Medical Waste Management.

Nishika Makes Managing Waste Easier Nishika Enterprises has become the foremost company to provide Bio Medical Waste Handling Solutions

Neeraj Garg, CEO, Nishika Enterprises


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For those users who have a concept of new product designin the field, Nishika Enterprises proves to be their first choice, as the company has already developed a wide range of Waste Handling products in consultation with end users.

DISPOSAFE™ Sharp ContainersNishika Enterprises introduced DISPOSAFE™ Sharp Containers in the year 2002 and within a short period of one year, the company was able to procure orders from reputed Government and Private hospitals. At that point of time, only 6 lit. containers were introduced and the prices were almost one third as compared to imported containers available at that time. Hence, it was instant hit in the healthcare industry. Today, Nishika caters to the top 70 per cent of hospitals in Delhi and NCR region and to many renowned hospitals

throughout the country. Looking into the wide

acceptance in the market and considering the feedback of the end user, the company slowly developed a wide range of disposable containers and with different designs. Today, the company offers 6 lit., 3 lit., 1.7 lit., 1 lit., and 0.8 lit. containers in both round and rectangular shapes. Our container is made of 100 per cent polypropylene and are autoclaveable. Key clientsSome prominent users of

Nishika Enterprises’ products

• ZiqitzaHealthCareLtd,Mumbai

• SevenHillsHealthcarePvt. Ltd., Mumbai & Vishakhapatnam

• S.L.RahejaHospital,Mumbai

• CentreForDigestive&Kidney Diseases, Mumbai

• CIMSHospitalPvt.Ltd.Ahmedabad(Gujrat)

• SPSApollo,Ahmedabad• JayaDevaHospital,

Bangalore•GangaCareHospital,

Nagpur•ManipalServicecorpFacility

Management Pvt. Ltd., Manipal

•O.P.JindalInstituteOfCancer & Research, Hisar

• IvyHospitals,Punjab• SatguruPartapSinghApollo

Hospitals, Ludhiana•MaxHospitals,(Pan)India• ParasHMRIHospital,

Patna & Gurgaon•Medicity,Gurgaon•QuestDiagnostics,Gurgaon• Asian,Faridabad•MetroHeartInstitute,

Faridabad•Dr.LalPathLabs,Delhi• G.B.PantHospital,New

Delhi• L.N.J.P.Hospital,New

Delhi•Dr.R.M.L.Hospital,New

Delhi• SarvodayaHospital&

Research Centre, Faridabad• ShriActionBalajiMedical

Institute, New Delhi• AlchemistHospital,

Gurgaon• BensupsHospital,New

Delhi• SarojHospital,NewDelhi• SaketCityHospital,New

Delhi• IndianSpinalInjuries

Centre, New Delhi• PushpawatiSinghania

Research Institute, New Delhi

•M.G.S.,NewDelhi• SRLLimited• CryobankLtd.,Gurgaon• S.R.M.I.M.S.,Bareilly(U.P)• SantoshMedicalCollege&Hospital,Ghaziabad(U.P)

• SolankiHospital,Alwar(Rajasthan)

•MahajanScientific,Solan(H.P)

Nishika caters to the top 70 per cent of hospitals in Delhi and NCR region and to many renowned

hospitals in the country

Special Feature

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By: Dr. Tennore Ramesh

MAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neuron disease

(ALS/MND) are a group of neurological disorders that affect motor neurones, the cells that control voluntary muscle activity that affect general body movements such as walking, breathing, speaking and swallowing. In southern India, a rare form of MND called Madras motor neuron disease

is also observed. While ALS/MND generally

affects motor neurones, the neurons that directly impact body movement, many other non-motor sensory and cognitive changes are also becoming recognised in these patients. Hence, ALS/MND falls in a spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases that involves multiple neuronal systems in the brain and spinal cord.

Interestingly, ALS among

Indian patients is appearing far earlier than in many Western countries, although the reasons for that are unclear. With many Indians living longer, we get to see far more ALS patients now than in the past. There is no cure for ALS/MND and the only approved drug Riluzole sold under the brand name Rilutek extends life of ALS patients only by a few months. However, early diagnosis is becoming more important so that patients can

Early Diagnosis Holds the Key for Better CareEarly diagnosis of motor neuron diseases is becoming more important so that patients can be medicated and managed to live better

Special Feature


be medicated and managed to live better.

The zebrafish studyResearch on ALS is difficult as most of the ALS cases are sporadic i.e. the cause is unknown. However, modelling genetic forms of ALS such as mutation in the SOD1, TARDBP, C9ORF72 have been useful in finding parallels in the sporadic disease and in developing cellular and animal models of ALS. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) a tropical fresh water fish native to the Himalayan region in India is emerging as a great system to model many human diseases including neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS. Zebrafish offers an excellent model system to

study neuronal circuits and synaptic plasticity as they are vertebrates with similar CNS architecture and organisation to humans.

They are transparent, and the development of locomotor neuronal circuits from a single cell embryo occur ex-vivo (outside the body), where they can be easily observed, recorded and manipulated. We, at the University of Sheffield, developed the world’s first adult onset neurodegeneration model using zebrafish.

The sod1 zebrafish model developed was to trace and track cells in the body that are sick/stressed. We used the heatshock promoter (hsp70) to drive a red fluorescent protein expression. This allowed us to

identify stressed neurons and thus map the disease better. Using this model, we were the first to show that inhibitory interneurons in the spinal cord show the earliest evidence of stress. Interestingly, we observed stress in these neurons in early embryogenesis (24 hours post fertilisation). The inhibitory interneurons act as brakes to the motor neurons and hence damage/stress to them will lead to lack of control over motor neuron function. We observed that over time (few months), this leads to stress/damage to motor neurons themselves and this in turn leads to denervation of the muscles which they supplied.

Thus, for the first time, we were able to clearly

The University of Sheffield has developed the

world’s first adult onset

neurodegeneration model using

zebrafish

Special Feature

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demonstrate how different populations of neurons are affected over the course of the disease (Figure-1). This result was recently published in the top neurology journal ‘Annals of Neurology’. This study provides clues on the important role of neuronal circuits and demonstrates how the disease can spread over time. This has great implications on developing novel treatments for MND and the zebrafish model additionally provides a new tool to test the efficacy of drugs using the neuronal stress assay.

Increased opportunities Since October 2011, we have been working on a major project using the zebrafish model of MND to efficiently screen over 2,000 potential drugs for any beneficial effects. The zebrafish model provided the researchers with opportunities to study and better understand how neuronal stress develops and

spreads in MND, offering insight into the earliest stages of the disease. Riluzole is a drug used to treat ALS. It also delays the onset of ventilator dependence in selected patients and may increase survival by approximately 3–5 months. We demonstrated that riluzole is able to reduce the neuronal stress in the sod1 zebrafish model, thus validating the utility of this assay.

Since then, we have also demonstrated that apomorphine-S (Not R isoform) is also able to reduce the neuronal stress. We had

earlier shown in the MND mouse model that this drug shows a modest effect in this model. Nrf2 is an important transcription factor that is involved in reducing oxidative stress and is considered an important target for therapy in ALS. Initial studies indicate that many other compounds may also be effective in this zebrafish model. As many of the drugs in the screen are already approved for human use, any drugs we identify would be tolerated in humans as well.

We also found out that many steroidal compounds in the drug library showed a small modest effect on reducing neuronal stress. It is well known that estrogen, a steroid, has neuroprotective effect and the incidence of ALS in women peaks after the menopause. Thus, this finding adds more interesting clues to identifying the mechanism of protective effects of such hits and identifying more potent drugs from this class.

About the author Dr. Tennore Ramesh is a motor neuron disease researcher at the Sheffield Institute of Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), the University of Sheffield’s Department of Neuroscience (UK).

Research on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is difficult as most cases are sporadic and the

causes are unknown

Health Beyond Fitness


Sit Straight at Work!

By: Dr. Gerd Mueller

In today’s hectic world, many hours are spent at offices. On an average, a

person sits more than eight hours per day while doing his/her job at the office. Many of us do not take required number of frequent eye or leg breaks and eventually develop body ailments, most common of them are back and neck pain. Lack of proper knowledge and guidance coupled with a careless attitude towards health are the main culprits.

Negative effects of sitting for long hoursNot only during office hours, but even at home we tend to pass the rest of our day’s hours mostly sitting – watching TV, eating, surfing the net, commuting at sit-position and so on. This sitting habit contributes to a number of medical

conditions like back pain, neck pain headache and other conditions. The way we are working on a computer, we underuse many of our muscles, while other muscles get tense and shorten. Very often we develop a so-called muscular imbalance, with a shortening of the breast muscles and a weakness of the upper back and shoulder blade muscles.

What we should do?If you are sitting at a desk for large portion of the workday, it’s important to give your body a break by standing up.

When you do, you will work different muscles and get your blood moving up.

When you are sitting, make sure you move around a lot and change positions, it is called ‘dynamic sitting’. This way you start to use different muscles. Recharge your body through frequent breaks. Frequent breaks are important to maintain good health. Despite having medically-correct furniture and other things, you still need these breaks. Instead of asking a helper to fetch for you a file or something, you should yourself go for it.

Sitting for long hours takes a toll on your health; here are some tips to improve your health, if you are in a sedentary job

Workout is essential to counter the

negative effects of sitting at desk for long hours at your

office

Health Beyond Fitness

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If you can talk to someone while standing, do it. Just a few minutes of frequent stroll during office hours are enough to keep you healthy and recharged. So be active!

Tips to maintain correct sitting posture• Choose a stable working

place where the computer is placed and get a computer which can be adjusted according to your needs.

• When you are seating comfortably, then ensure that the distance between you and your computer is an arm’s length. Make sure that the monitor should be at the level of your eyes so that you don’t have to look up or down which will really stress your eyes as well as neck.

• Make sure that the keyboard and mouse are placed at the same height as your elbow.

However, the workplace corrections are often overrated regarding their effect on the symptoms. More recent studies show that a much more effective way in dealing with the symptoms lies in proper exercises, both with short active breaks and stretches at the workplace and a good workout in your leisure time.

Exercise as counter-weight against sitting Workout is essential to counter the negative effects of sitting at desk for long hours at your office. The exercise regime is different for different people. Not only does it differ according to the age and gender, but also the weight and the height of a person. Exercising is a better way to loose body fat, as it increases your metabolism. Physical stamina is increased to a great extent, which helps

keep you fresh throughout your hectic schedule for the whole day. A good workout also acts as a stress-buster. Exercising is one of the best ways to deal with the pain and stiffness in your neck or back.

Back & neck exercise must for office-goersNeck stretching exercises can loosen the stiffness of the muscle and expand the range of motion. Neck and upper back strengthening exercises can help a person in maintaining proper neck position which may stop recurrent pain caused by long sitting hours.

There are a number of exercises to strengthen back muscles, but it is advisable to consult a physiotherapist/doctor before starting any exercise, especially when symptoms have been there for a long time.

About the authorDr. Gerd Mueller is the

Chairman and Managing

Director of AktivOrtho. He

is a renowned European

orthopaedic. After 15 years

of surgical orthopaedic

specialisation, including

spine surgery (discectomies,

spinal decompressions,

fusions), arthroscopies

(knee, shoulder, elbow, ankle)

and joint replacements,

Dr. Mueller identified an

increasingly prevalent need

for effective rehabilitation and

pain management and since

then has devoted himself to

the non-invasive treatment of

orthopaedic ailments.

Leisure - Travel


Klassic Kabini

Photos & Words by: Avirat Shete

The tiger is the ‘king’, undoubtedly! But, have you ever set sight on

the ‘prince’? Also known as the ghost of jungles, the Indian Leopard (Panthera pardus) is even rarer to spot than the tiger. It is here in Kabini, part of Nagarhole National Park (Rajiv Gandhi National Park), that I had my first leopard sighting.

It was the first time that I saw this magnificent predator

Kabini lies in the Biosphere Reserve of the Western Ghats, and is one of the world’s 10 Hottest Biodiversity Hotspots, declared by UNESCO

The food served at Gol Ghar is

sumptuous and tasty, made peppier

with jungle tales exchanged between

mouthfuls Spotted Deers lock antlers

The prince - A male leopard looks straight into my lens

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Leisure - Travel


Klassic Kabini

in over seven years of wild outings. Perched on a teak branch, 15 feet above the ground (they are excellent climbers), a fully grown adult male leopard looked straight into my lens, and I got the image I had been hoping to capture for a long time. The deadly look of a leopard is unmatched in our forests. Something I won’t forget in my lifetime.

Kabini lies in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve of the Western Ghats. The Western Ghats area is one of the world’s 10 Hottest Biodiversity Hotspots, declared by

UNESCO, and has over 5,000 species of flowering plants, 139 mammal species, 508 bird species, 179 amphibian species and 288 freshwater fish species. At least 325 globally threatened species are in the Western Ghats.

Situated on the banks of the Kabini River, the reserve is spread over 55 acres (22 ha) of forestland, steep valleys, and water

bodies

• RanganathittuBirdSanctuary

(45 kms/1 hr) for a boat

rideintheCauveryriverthat

offersverygoodsightingof

hugecoloniesofwaterbirds,

and also the crocodiles.

•Mysore(94kms/2hrs)for

themostvisitedmonument

inIndia-TheMysorePalace,

severalfamoustemples,

railwaymuseum,andof

course,theBrindavan

Gardens.(Tip:VisitMysore

duringDussehraforthemost

amazingcelebrationyoumay

ever see).

• Coorg(113kms/2.5hrs)for

lushgreenvalleys,mistyhills,

sprawlingcoffeeplantations,

teaestates,orangegroves,

loftypeaksandfastflowing

streams.

• Nanjangud(95kms/2

hrs)forthestunning

Nanjundeshwaratempleand

ParshuramaKshetra.

Places nearby

Wild Dog showing off his canines Lesser Yellownape WoodpeckerMalabar Giant Squirrel, the state animal of Maharashtra

A tender moment - Elephant calf suckling, while the family jostles around after a mud bath

Indian Roller, the state bird of Karnataka

Peacock showing off his magnificent tail

Leisure - Travel


How to reachThe Kabini Forest Reserve is one of the most popular wildlife destinations of Karnataka, probably because of its accessibility, lush green landscape surrounding a large lake, and sightings of herds of elephants. It is 90 km away from Mysore and 205 km from Bangalore. Situated on the banks of the Kabini River, the

reserve is spread over 55 acres (22 ha) of forestland, steep valleys, and water bodies.

Best timeIf it is pleasant weather you are looking for, then head to Kabini in winters, but if wildlife sighting or photography is your focus, then the best time to visit is March to May. It will be hot and humid, but the dried water

bodies means more animal activity near the river. The largest congregation of Asian Elephants can be witnessed during the boat ride.

Where to staySeveral hotels, resorts and lodges to choose from - Orange County, Red Earth, The Serai, and so on.

However, my vote would go to the Kabini River Lodge, managed by Jungle Lodges and Resorts. It has been voted as the fifth best wildlife resort in the world. From the luxurious Maharaja Cottage to the lovely simple tents, you have four different options of accommodation. I stayed in a self-contained tent, close to the river, and thoroughly enjoyed it. There are hammocks outside your cottages, and you can laze around after the safari, dozing off amid gentle bird songs.

The food served at Gol Ghar is sumptuous and tasty, made peppier with jungle tales exchanged between mouthfuls. Since it is the closest resort to the forest as well as the river, you save precious commuting time, a bonus any jungle traveller would vouch for. In fact, tourists from all other resorts too have to come here for the safari.

SightingsAs mentioned earlier, the highlight of this trip was the unforgettable leopard sighting. But how can I forget the seven wild dogs that were playing around on the grassy forest floor? Or the lone tusker, ambling around on the banks of the river? The cutest moment captured was the elephant family, mud bathing in a quiet corner. A family portrait, with a little

Kabini Flora Thevegetationhereconsists

mainly of North Western Ghats

moistdeciduousforests

with teak and rosewood

predominatinginthesouthern

parts.ThereisCentralDeccan

Plateaudrydeciduousforests

withPalaindigoandthorny

wattle towards the east. There

aresomesub-montanevalley

swamp forests with several

speciesoftheEugeniagenus.

Themaintreesfoundhereare

the commercially important

rosewood, teak, sandalwood

and silver oak. Species of

treesofthedrydeciduous

forestincludecrocodilebark,

lagerstroemialanceolata

(crepe myrtle), Indian kino tree,

grewiatilaefolia,rosewoodand

axlewood.

Other tree species that are

seen in the forests are kadam,

cottontree,schleicheratrijuga

andsomespeciesofficus.

Intheunderstorey,species

foundgrowingincludekydia

calycina,Indiangooseberry

andbeechwood;shrubslike

horse nettles, tick clover,

helicteres species and

invasive species like lantana

andbonesetsarefoundin

abundance.

These forests also have some

conspicuoustreespeciessuch

asgoldenshowertree,flame

oftheforestandclumping

bamboo.

- Wikipedia

Winding path in the woods

Leisure - Travel


About the authorAvirat V. Shete is a teacher

and motivator for the past 15

years.Hisjourneyasawildlife

andnaturephotographer

startedin2006withatrip

totheWorldHeritageSite:

Kazirangaandinhisown

words he “fell head over

heels in love with the wild

outdoors”.Havingtravelled

acrossthelengthandbreadth

of India, he loves to share

his experiences with the

concretedwellersandurges

themtoexplorethe“offbeat”.

ThroughhiscompanyMid

Earth,hehasintroduced

hundredsofyoungandold

tothewondersofnature.He

hasalsocomposedover200

poems on diverse topics,

andhisworkshavefeatured

inreputedpublicationslike

HornbillandSaevus.Helives

inThanewithhisfamilyof9,

spanning4generations.

calf suckling, was a moment to cherish. And yeah, a tiger was also spotted, albeit quite far away. But, the chances of seeing a tiger in the dense forests of South India are pretty slim. So, no complaints there. The smallest mammal we spotted was the Malabar Giant Squirrel (state animal of Maharashtra).

Several lifers (seen for the first time in life) on the birding front. Worthy of special mention would be the Pompadour Green Pigeons, seen at a salt lick, along with 40 Yellow-footed Green Pigeons and Green Imperial Pigeons. Surprisingly, the majestic Serpent Eagle was the only raptor seen in this trip.Apart from the leopard sighting, I will remember this trip for my best peacock photo ever.

In the golden morning light, our national bird was perched at eye level on a dead tree. The light was perfect, and so was the perch. Shutters clicked away like crazy, and the subject was co-operative too.

Must Do• Apartfromtheamazing

jungle safaris in open vehicles, don’t forget to enjoy a boat ride in the back waters of Kabini. There

are two options – motor boat ride and coracle. Try the latter only if you are adventurous.

•Watchaonehourwildlifemovie/documentary at the colonial restaurant.

• Browsethroughsomestunning images and enhance your knowledge about the region, through the books at the local library.

• Askyourbartendertonarrate the legend of John Wakefield a.k.a Papa, the British conservationist who made Kabini his home.

Useful links:http://www.junglelodges.com/kabini-river-lodgewww.nativeplanet.comwww.wildlifediaries.comwww.tripadvisor.in

Lesser Goldenback

Darter a.k.a Snake Bird, courtesy it’s neck Serpent Eagle captured while preening

A tusker enjoying a stroll in the meadow

Self contained tents at Kabini River Lodge

EnjoyHealthinfoatyourFingertips

Go Digital!

Log on to www.healthbizindia.in


Leisure - Tech-o-Manic

How to Save a Life

By: Prashant Pathak

And there it went.Like a washed-out

actor heading towards a crash, your phone decided to take the plunge. You couldn’t do much, since it already had made up its mind and had a plan in place. It doesn’t matter how it went, you dropped it in a bowl of water, you walked in the rain, or you spilled a glass of water on it, it just did. And now it’s up to you to drag it back to life.

Wet phones are tricky, and your manufacturer won’t probably cover it in warranty. It all depends on how much time passed before you could retrieve it. I make no promises; so even after performing all the steps mentioned below you could still end up with a very

expensive paper weight. But at least you would have tried.

Right ho!

Step 1: Rescue itClose your mouth and fish out the damn thing. The longer the phone is in the water, the higher the chances of it getting wasted.

If you spilled liquid on it, get it out of the battlefield and give it a quick wipe with the towel before proceeding with the next step.

Step 2: Cut off the juice and stripTake out the battery if you can. At this point of time you should resist the urge to turn it on and checking if it works. Most likely the water/liquid your phone has been into isn’t corrosive or salty (if it has

been, I’m sorry dude.), and it wouldn’t do much damage by itself. The damage occurs when there is short circuiting inside.

If there are SIM cards or memory cards in the device, it is advisable you take them out now. Dry them with a napkin or a towel and keep them aside. In case you spilled some milk or some aerated drink, clean them with ear-buds and nail varnish or surgical alcohol.

Are there any fancy covers or attachments in your device? You need to remove them too.

Step 3: Dry itThis is a two-step process. You need to first clean out all the moisture inside the phone. You could either dry it by using a hair dryer or use a vacuum cleaner to suck out the liquid.

Set the hair dryer to Cold (never warm or hot air) and blast the device from every angle. Get up close and personal with it, and make sure all the moisture that you could reach is gone. Take short breaks, since you don’t want the dryer to become too hot and melt the electronics inside.

Or you could take up that vacuum nozzle and suck out the liquid. Make sure you get all the vents and the ports, especially the ones that allow you direct access to the mobile innards. If you don’t have a vacuum cleaner handy, use your lips. Not the best way, but it gets the job done.

Thingsyoushoulddowhenyourphonebecomeswet

Always make sure your dryer is in ‘cold’ mode while drying

your wet device

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Leisure - Tech-o-Manic

After you are satisfied with all that hot air blasting/vacuuming/sucking, take the phone and put in a bowl of uncooked rice for the next 24 hours. Make sure you cover the entire device, and remove the back cover if you can. Silica gel can also be used, if you have it handy. This will help remove any moisture in the device.

Keep on checking every four to five hours if you phone was particularly wet. You might want to change the rice of bowl. If even after the allotted 24 hours, you still see moisture on screen, put it back in for

some more time.

Step 4: Put it all back togetherYou have removed it from the rice, and it looks good. The water is now gone and it is now time to assess the damage. Put in the SIM card and the battery and try switching it on. It might not work the first time since it is entirely possible the battery got drained out during its sojourn in the water.

Keep the phone turned off (if you have managed to switch it on in the first place) before you try and charge it. Take your charger and plug in

the mobile first. Then plug the charger in the socket and turn it on, while keeping an eye on the device. If you see anything amiss, remove the charger immediately. Or if it’s your lucky day, you would be able to safely charge your device. Just make sure you don’t leave it unattended. It’s your precious device we are talking about here.

Step 5: Switch it on and test itIf the stars were aligned and there is someone upstairs looking out for you, in all fairness, you should be able to turn on your device now.

If you are successful, firstly my heartiest congratulations. Secondly, you need to assess the damage if any. Do a quick review of the phone functions, make a call or drop a message, use the net or play a game, and check if all is fine with it. If all is well, you might have just managed to save your device from a watery grave.

In case you find out that the device only runs while plugged, most likely the battery is to blame. Get a new one, and enjoy your phone’s second life.Until next time!Your friendly neighborhood PC Guy.

Keeping your device in a bowl of uncooked

rice helps get rid of excess moisture

inside it

About the authorPrashantisatechnogeekwho

hasanavidinterestinwriting,

and who in his spare time,

alsohasbeingknowntopick

upabookorten.Herecently

joinedasoftwarecompanyon

hiswaytopursuinghisdream

ofwritingworldchanging

code. Whether or not, he

does that, remains to be

seen. He can be contacted at:

[email protected]


Events

MedicallMedicall is India’s premier hospital needs and equipment exposition and the biggest of its kind in India. Medicall was started with the idea of promoting entrepreneurship amongst the medical fraternity. The first Medicall expo was held in 2005 with the idea of bringing all the stakeholders of hospital industry under one roof. Medicall brings the latest, appropriate and affordable technologies, for the benefit of all hospitals including smaller hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and physicians setting up group practice.

Medicall provides an opportunity for Indian and international hospital needs companies to showcase their products and services. Thematic seminars focusing on hospital management and Medicall Healthcare Innovation Awards attract the very best hospitals and medical professionals from all over the Globe. Medicall attracts the Best & Latest of Healthcare Industry. Medicall provides a cost effective and accessible opportunity for healthcare entrepreneurs, management professionals and physicians with relevant group of products and services. Organisers: Medexpert Business ConsultantsDate: August 1-3, 2014 Venue: Chennai Trade Center, ChennaiContact person: Mr. SundararajanPhone: +91 98403 26020E-mail: [email protected]: www.medicall.in

SASH 2014SASH-2014 is going to be different experience and will serve as a benchmark for times to come. National Conference on “Innovations & Updates in Hospital Management” has been conceptualised as a platform, an attempt to fill up the void that exists and to get updated on the emerging technologies in hospital designing. The event has set sights on showcasing the scenario as one would experience redefining healthcare management.

The goal is to create a platform where one can interexchange knowledge; hear the researchers and professionals on the exciting and challenging trends which many of us may not be aware of. Today, healthcare industry is one of the fastest growing industries in India and in the coming years, there is going to be a phenomenal demand for hospitals. With this conference, the motive is to spread some knowledge on how to make hospitals of today and tomorrow, truly patient and environment friendly healing centers.Organisers: AHA Bangalore ChapterDate: September 13 & 14, 2014Venue: M. S. Ramaiah Medical College & HospitalContact person: Paniel JPhone: +91 9035189825E-mail: [email protected]: www.sashahaindia.com

F&S Excellence AwardsAfter five successful editions, Frost & Sullivan proudly presents its 6th edition of the India Healthcare Excellence Awards 2014 On Friday, 19th September 2014 in Taj Lands End, Mumbai. These awards are in keeping with its commitment to recognise innovative growth strategies and solutions adopted by the best companies in the healthcare industry. Award categories span across various healthcare segments such as Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology, Medical Technologies, Healthcare Delivery Services and Special Awards.

The coveted Frost & Sullivan India Healthcare Excellence Awards are presented to companies that demonstrate best practices in the Indian Healthcare and life sciences industry. The awards program follows a rigorous methodology to recognise superior planning and execution of product launches, strategic alliances, distribution strategies, technological innovations, customer services, healthcare delivery services, and mergers and acquisitions. Organisers: Frost & SullivanDate: September 19, 2014Venue: Taj Land’s End, MumbaiE-mail: [email protected]: www.frost.com/hcawards2014

FICCI Heal 2014FICCI HEAL is the flagship event of the Health Services Division at FICCI. Started in 2007, the event has quickly moved on to being one of the most awaited Health Conferences in the country. The Conference is a conglomeration of policy makers and national and international leaders from healthcare and associated industries with participation of delegates from India and abroad.

Apart from the conference, another keenly awaited event on the sidelines is the Healthcare Awards, which recognises and Awards outstanding ach0ievement and excellence in the field of Healthcare.

The endeavour through this Conference is to address the various opportunities and challenges to promote innovation which can change the current paradigms and move towards better, efficient and cheaper methods for accessible, affordable and quality healthcare in India. Organisers: FICCIDate: September 1&2, 2014Venue: FICCI Auditorium, New DelhiContact person: Sarita ChandraPhone: +11 2373 8760E-mail: [email protected]: www.ficci-heal.com

Conference Alerts


Post Events

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Date: July 19, 2014 Venue: Hotel Ramada, Chennai

AMEN, India’s leading Healthcare Management Event Organisers organised a 1 Day Conference and Knowledge Forum on Healthcare Branding, Marketing & Profitability on Saturday, the 19th of July 2014 at Chennai. The Conference was a resounding success and received excellent reviews and feedback. Participants included senior healthcare professionals and hospital promoters from across the country including Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Calicut, Pondicherry etc.

Dr. Naveen Nagar, AVP-Strategy and Operations, Healthcare Global (HCG), Bangalore, shared his experiences on Profitability-A strategic perspective. He started his presentation by saying that profitability determines the survival of any organisation. He mentioned that he strongly believes in the mantra that ‘Trust is built through reputation, familiarity,

competence, repetition and collaboration’. It is established half through expectation setting and half through service delivery. “Hospitals should not only aim at retaining the employees, but also upgrade their knowledge,” he added. He ended his session by narrating HCG’s success story and the strategies that worked for HCG as a single specialty, giving it a first mover advantage and making it a technology leader and shared their mission of delivering quality care at an affordable cost.

The Conference supported the ‘Self V Survivor Stories’ Campaign by HCG. Health Biz India was one of the Media Partners for the Conference.

Dr. N Sethuraman, Chairman, Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre, Madurai, spoke on Hospital and Healthcare Branding. He stressed on the fact that the Customer is King in today’s world and all services should be designed keeping the customer in mind. He elaborated on brand being an emotional feeling and that one

should aim at building brand loyalties in their customers. He talked about the satisfaction spectrum and insisted that the organisation should aim to intoxicate the patient with delight. Dr. Sethuraman ended his session by discussing the tools that are required to build a brand such as principle, personality, association, values and mission.

Mr. Venkatesh VS, CEO, Apollo White Dental & Apollo Dialysis, Chennai spoke extensively on Effectively Positioning and Re positioning your brand. According to him, positioning is what you do to the mind of the prospect but in healthcare, positioning is decided by the patient’s perception. He strongly believes that the healthcare industry is undergoing large and fundamental changes with implications that are not fully visible. “Access, scope, innovations and demographics are the points to be kept in mind while positioning”, he added. Mr. Venkatesh narrated the success story of Vassar Brothers Hospital in Poughkeepsie, New York while

Everything about Branding & MarketingAMEN organises a 1 Day Conference on Healthcare Branding, Marketing and Profitability at Chennai

‘Happiness and satisfaction on the faces of the delegates is what we look forward to while organising any conference. We want the participants to take home a good amount of knowledge and implement the same in their respective organisations. We look forward to organising more conferences on this theme and Dubai is on our cards for 2015’

Mr. Paniel Jayanth Founder and Chief Strategist, AMEN

Dr. Sethuraman N, Chairman, Meenakshi Mission Hospital & Research Centre, Madurai Mr. Venkatesh V S, CEO, Apollo White Dental & Apollo Dialysis, Chennai


Post Events

talking about re-positioning. Mr. Zakariah Ahmed,

Founder & Chief Mentor, Health Travelers Worldwide, Chennai shared his experiences on International Marketing Strategies & Techniques for Medical Tourism. He said that the hospital should get all the staff involved and insisted in including it in the mission of the hospital. “Build a patient friendly atmosphere in the hospital as most international patients stay for about two to three months,” he suggested. He says that if patients feel at home as much as possible, they would help in endorsing your hospital back at their homeland. He ended his session by saying that building relations with the government is very important for hassle free procedures.

Mr. Venkatakrishnan R, Director, Value Added

Corporate Services, Chennai, talked about Enhancing Hospital Profitability using Corporate Performance Management Systems. According to him, Enterprise Performance Management is a profit value chain that provides a structured framework to make strategic choices, monitor changes – business environment, customer expectations etc. and in turn create effective organisations. He is of the opinion that effective organisations anticipate change in customer expectations and are able to fulfill them as required and in time.

Social Media Marketing, a very interesting session of the day was taken by Mr. Sorav Jain, Thinker in Chief, echoVME. Sorav started off by mentioning the growth of social media in international

and national circuits. He mentioned about popularity of the internet by showing an example of Rural Netizens. He stressed how social media can be beneficial for healthcare and shared some examples from his client list. “Social media allows you to reach people on the basis of age, gender, interest, designation, company they work, education qualification, sexual orientation, life-style (mobile, parenting status, relationship status) and lot more,” he added. He shared the names of the hospitals that are widely using social media as their marketing tool and also some of the tips and best practices in creating an effective social media campaign.

The last session of the day was taken by Mr. Gowrishankar N, Managing Director, HSB Consulting, Chennai. His session was

on Effective CRM, Internal Marketing and achieving customer delight. He started with the fact that customer relationship management is a relationship forged by the company with its consumers. He is of the opinion that the healthcare space is defined by consumer demands, doctors as demigods, various myths, corporatisation and insurance. He talked about the critical elements in CRM such as brand image/positioning target consumer managing expectations systems and processes.

The Conference ended with a very interesting Panel Discussion on a critical topic, Legal Issues & Ethics in today’s Healthcare Marketing processes. Panel members included Mr. Harish Manian, Director, Fortis Malar Hospital, Chennai; Mr. S Namdev Rao, Director - Business Development, Yashomati Hospitals, Bangalore; Mr. Aasim Shehzad, Partner, BSF Legal, Chennai; Mr. Venkatesh V S, CEO, Apollo White Dental & Apollo Dialysis, Chennai; and Dr. Ramesh Babu, CEO, Gunam Hospital, Hosur. The discussion was moderated by Mr. Gowrishankar N, Managing Director, HSB Consulting, Chennai.

Delegates Panel Discussion

Mr. Sorav Jain, Founder and Thinker in Chief, EchoVME, Chennai

Mr. Venkatakishnan R, Managing Director, Value Added Corporate Services, Chennai

Documents

Vol4 Issue 5 August 2014 - Healthcare