TURNING AN EMPOWERED VISION INTO AFFORDABLE &
QUALITY HEALTHCARE IN INDIA
WITH THE EXPERIENCE SPANNING OVER 25 YEARS, DR. ALOK ROY CHAIRMAN, MEDICA GROUP OF HOSPITALS, ENVISIONED TO CREATE A CHAIN OF INSTITUTION THAT BENEFITS EVERYONE. HE AIMS TO PROVIDE THE AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE THAT WOULD BENEFIT MORE PEOPLE AND SERVE THEM WITH BEST HEALTHCARE SERVICES. TO PROVIDE HEALTHCARE FACILITY AT NORMAL COST.
What was your rationale behind your career move?
From an early age, I always believed that as a doctor I can serve humanity, but if I create institutions then collectively, we can serve greater populace. As a doctor there is limitation of serving the number of people but by creating institutions my ability to serve increases manifold, that was the thought that empowered me to build institutions. My experience of over 25 years has guided me to evolve into a hospital management specialist, who is willing to address the need for affordable yet quality healthcare in India. Today at Medica Group of Hospitals and our flagship Medica Superspecialty Hospital in Kolkata, we provide integrated solutions on the entire spectrum of healthcare delivery.
Why do you feel innovation is the key to differentiation?
That is very fundamental and inherent to our growth. Unless we innovate, we cannot provide best treatment. Innovation does not always necessarily mean building a new machine or always create a new process, it entails how do we handle a circumstance which could be behavioural, handling interpersonal relationships, maintaining professional ethics, increase efficiency and create differentiation. We should be able to innovate at all levels to achieve distinctive faculties. From the moment a patient enters a hospital, it is necessary that we welcome him in a manner which enables him/her to become better equipped mentally and be responsive to the treatment. This entire process where he feels welcomed is also part of patient care innovation. It forms the base of any
differentiation for the positive health and treatment for the people who comes to the hospital.
After your organization joined the COVID parade, what have you added to the scenario?
We have constantly been active on creating accessible and affordable healthcare. Today Medica is one of the most well-equipped hospital in Eastern India. Take for example a case in point, during the first phase of COVID we had 11 ECMO machines, 35 HFNO, 65 Ventilators running, but we kept the charges within limits. Bringing ECMO to Eastern part of India was unheard of. We were the only hospital in the Country who were performing so many ECMO’s at a single point of time. We got referrals from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, and North Eastern States who were administered superior treatment. This has been our effort since the day we had opened our doors at Medica Superspecialty Hospital. But we have not limited ourselves to Kolkata and are the only healthcare provider who are currently present in two locations in Odisha, one in Bihar, Jharkhand, North Bengal and Assam. All together we have 9 units running across Eastern India.
With such rapid, continual advances in technology, how do you ensure staying updated?
That is of utmost importance to provide latest and superior care. Every patient who comes for treatment expects the best out of us and we as caregivers always strive for excellence yet keep it affordable. We are focussed on upskilling of resources as to operate the best instruments we need skilled technicians, and we are lucky that our resources think alike, and all our specialists feel that way and have a common goal of exceptional patient care. Our facility in Ranchi is one of the best Superspecialty Hospital in the region of Jharkhand and that is acquired through the willingness to invest in right direction and willingness to learn and stay updated. We do not differentiate in the size of the unit; whatever best is required in the region we provide for the best care giving solutions that can be offered to the citizens.
What kind of research and development do you go through to match the pace of the market?
We engage in lot of clinical research and testing. Like we have identified a vaccine testing site, for various cancer drugs, new antibiotics. So, we dedicatedly invest in R&D regularly to provide the best quality treatment.
Do you stand by the fact that a strong team important for a brand to grow?
Of course, a brand needs a unit of complete people. It can only grow because of its people; without the human resource we cannot offer efficient patient care. At the end of the day, it is the people who make the brand and not the other way round. Service is delivered by the people and cannot be provided by individuals. You need a group of people who are committed, have faith in leadership, who are skilled and care for colleagues and the service they are providing. A brand needs 100% commitment of these people to prosper and scale the heights.
Expansion Plan & Way forward in 2021
We are adding three cancer hospitals as we are talking, one each in Siliguri and Kolkata West Bengal and one in Ranchi Jharkhand. We are increasing our beds across all locations, adding new facilities (some of which had to be incorporated in a COVID scenario) to be able to cope up with increase in patient numbers and to improve on the patient care and offer best world class technology. So, for next few years these developments will keep us busy.