‘We don’t need no
The group will double capacity in 5 years without acquiring a hospital or setting up one
have. In all our hospitals, we can expand capacity. We have been consolidating our businesses.
So, no acquisitions, and no new hospitals to be built?
We don’t need to. If you put an additional block in an existing facility, the ability to add beds, operation theatres, ICU, new medical programmes, additional staff is much easier. The economic returns are far higher.
How about the bragging rights that come with having the largest number of hospitals?
It’s not about bragging. Over the last year and a half, we got out of many facilities, shut facilities. It is about what is viable, what makes sense. It is not about the number of hospitals, but about the quality of care, making sure you serve and treat every patient in the best possible manner. It is about how I give you what you need.
How will you retain leadership?
My priority is to continue to deliver higher and better quality care and leverage my scale for better efficiency and higher margins. We will expand each facility to make it more comprehensive and treat more people.
What will you do as you focus on efficiency?
We continue to focus on medical clinical excellence. The focus is on clinical pathways, working with the best in the world. There will be a lot of work on the clinical side, and on patient centricity. Medical care and patient care will keep us ahead.
Will you do things that are not being done in India?
We will do things that will be far ahead of what anyone else has done. We will talk about it later.
Which new areas?
There are lots of things we are doing which are firsts. Over the last few years we have focused a lot on transplants. It’s a complex area. In all our hospitals we have been focusing on oncology. We are evolving according to what the country needs. Noncommunicable diseases will be, already are, a big issue for our country. We are gearing ourselves for that. You will not hear about acquisitions, but enhancing the quality of care, and upping the ante in clinical excellence and patient care.
Are you more involved in the business now that there is only one brother in it?
We are still two brothers.
But Shivinder is not actively involved in the business.
I certainly miss him. We talk often, but the conversations are a little different today. They are not that much about the business. They are more
What drives you?
Today the purpose is saving and enriching lives through delivery of world-class healthcare at an Indian price point. The best part is you touch so many millions of lives.
Do you see a shift happening from treatment to prevention?
Today the whole healthcare model is focused on treatment. As you grow you want to move towards prevention. You want to focus on keeping people healthy, and take care of people as close to their homes as possible, instead of having them in the hospital. You have to move from treatment to wellness. We want to drive that.