Seminar@Symbiosis

(L-R) Dr Harish Pillai, Rajen Padukone, Dr Rajiv Yeravdekar, Sadananda Reddy, Dr Vidya Yeravdekar, Dr Rajani Gupte and Sudarshan Jain

Symbiosis Institute of Health Sciences (SIHS), a constituent of Symbiosis International University (SIU) recently organised the XVI National Seminar on ‘Hospital & Healthcare Management, Medico Legal Systems & Clinical Research.’

The seminar was inaugurated by Dr Vidya Yeravdekar, Principal Director, Symbiosis and Dr Rajani Gupte, Vice Chancellor, SIU. She discussed about the future plan of setting up the Symbiosis Health Science and Technology Park which will focus on R&D activity with progressive involvement of the pharma sector.

Dr Gupte brought to the attention of the gathering that the US and European Union Market are looking at India with regards to the implementation of intellectual property laws in India. This was followed by felicitation of the dignitaries and traditional lamp lighting ceremony.

Dr Rajiv Yeravdekar, Dean, Faculty of Health and Biomedical Sciences (FoHBS) delivered a key note address on successful healthcare models. He shared how Symbiosis has spearheaded the Health Promotion University concept in India by providing on-campus preventive, promotive and curative services which is widely practiced across the globe.

The pre conference symposium also comprised a session on ‘Successful Healthcare Models’ which was anchored by Rajen Padukone, CEO and MD Manipal Health Enterprises. Dr Harish Pillai, CEO, Aster DM Healthcare, conveyed that liberalisation and the entry of global pharma companies have contributed to the growth of the Indian healthcare industry. Sudarshan Jain, MD, Healthcare Solutions, Abbott India gave an insight about Indian pharma industries and their contribution for contract research through the development of biosimilars, therapeutic equivalents and medical devices.

Sadananda Reddy, MD, Goldstar Healthcare, briefed about healthcare infrastructure in various ways right from digitising medical test, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to enhancing the reach of healthcare through telemedicine and health IT. Dr GSK Velu, MD, Trivitron Group, enunciated that medical electronics industry has witnessed double digit growth in recent years and this growth trajectory is expected to continue. Chronic diseases, changing life style, increased urbanisation and growing elderly population are considered as the drivers for the medical electronics industry. This was followed by scientific paper presentation by delegates.

Daljit Singh, President, Fortis Healthcare, briefed the audience on strategic management as an ongoing process that evaluates and controls the business and the industries in which the company is involved. He said, “Strategy tells where to compete and how to compete. Flexibility and adaptability have become key management concepts to develop a sustainable competitive advantage, and successful firms apply them in new organisational strategies.”

This was followed by four Master Class sessions on game changes in healthcare. Dr Gautam Sen, Chairman, Wellspring Healthcare, spoke on ‘Transforming Healthcare Delivery for 21st Century and the Technology Boom in India.’ Dr Om Manchanda, CEO, Dr LalPathLabs, talked on the Indian healthcare industry, market segments and drivers as well as on the changing market and consumer trend. He said that Indians are becoming more aware of their health due to the improved availability and accessibility of better health-related information.

(L-R) Dr Rajiv Yeravdekar, Shivinder Mohan Singh, Dr SB Mujumdar, Adv Ram Jethmalani, Dr Rajani Gupte and Dr Vidya Yeravdekar

Dr Adheet Gogate discussed on the entrepreneurial tidal wave with an out of the box thinking mind-set which is waiting to sweep across the Indian landscape. Dr Sanjay Arora, Director Suburban Diagnostics from the diagnostic sector, mentioned that the diagnostics franchise market is highly fragmented and yet to be tapped with a distinct possibility of more players coming here in the future.

In the concluding session for the day, Dr Azad Moopen shared his knowledge on challenges faced by the human resource in healthcare industry by way of the identification, recruitment and retention of the required workforce. Dr Sanjay Gupte briefed about the special laws in healthcare with a focus on PCPNDT Act, Transplantation of human organ Act 1994, Surrogacy and its ethics and Maharashtra Clinical Establishment Act.

Day 2 of the National Seminar began with a talk on Medical Tourism: Present & Future by Pradeep Thukral, Founder & CEO SafeMedTrip Consultant who highlighted that inflated cost of treatments in the developed countries such as the US and UK, has driven patients from such regions to look for alternative and cost-effective destinations such as India to get their treatment. Dr Yash Paul Bhatia, MD, Astron Healthcare spoke that when a hospital earns international accreditation, the patient is assured that the facility has been inspected by an outside source and found to be of good quality.

Dr Shreeraj Deshpande, Head, Health Insurance Future Generali India Insurance Company , discussed on the opportunities and challenges in the health insurance field and the role of Insurance Development & Regulatory Authority (IRDA) in guarding against the ill effects of privatisation on the healthcare of a large segment of rural population in the country. Dr Milind Sardesai, Assistant Director, Lupin Pharmaceuticals indulged the audience in the domain of pharmacovigillance observing that there is a need for transparency in the pharma industry relating to the collection, detection, assessment, monitoring, and prevention of adverse effects with pharma products.

Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, Deputy Director, NARI stressed upon the objectives and necessity of laws in clinical research and notable incidents which triggered the need for Law in Clinical Research. Dr Shubnum Singh, Chairperson, Healthcare Sector Skill Council, Advisory Committee expressed her views on creating a robust and vibrant eco-system for quality vocational education and training in allied healthcare and paramedics space. Sandeep Ahuja, MD, VLCC & Chairman, FICCI National Wellness Committee emphasised that wellness and health goes hand in hand in day-to-day life and that the scope of wellness extends beyond health by way of mental, spiritual, social wellbeing. Dr Gopinath N Shenoy, Medico Legal Consultant spoke about various legal aspects and landmark judgments in healthcare. He highlighted on the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, Drug Price Control Order, Human Organs Transplantation Act, Surrogacy Act & Clinical Establishment Act.

The valedictory ceremony was organised on the second day to conclude the two-day seminar. The valedictory ceremony was graced by Chief Guest, Shivinder Mohan Singh, Executive Vice Chairman, Fortis Healthcare. The Guest of Honour for the ceremony was Advocate Ram Jethmalani, (Former Union Law Minister). The ceremony was presided over by Dr SB Mujumdar, President and Founder Director, Symbiosis and Chancellor, SIU. Singh shared his views on changing trends in healthcare, infrastructure gap between the public and private sector and the necessity for standardisation to come in healthcare in order to provide the authentic health care service. He also mentioned that India will become the cheapest country to provide quality health services in the world. Jethmalani spoke on the important issues of surrogacy and euthanasia stating that surrogacy should not be practiced and should be substituted with adoption and euthanasia is the constitutional right of everybody. He further stated that the best path to walk upon is the path of knowledge.

Dr Mujumdar addressed the gathering and conveyed that in order to become the superpower by 2020, India must increase the spending on healthcare. He concluded his speech by stating that quality education and quality health services is the need of the country and it can be achieved only with the improvement in technology and innovation of ideas. The ISBN numbered “Symbiosis Health Times” was released by Singh who appreciated the efforts of Symbiosis Institute of Health Sciences in organising an Educative Seminar on a magnanimous level.

Valedictory function was followed by convocation ceremony of PGDHHM, PGDMLS, PGDCR and PGDHIM students. The certificates of merit were awarded by Singh. All in all, over 800 delegates from all over India and some from abroad participated in this seminar. Over 80 civil surgeons, district health officers and senior faculty of medical colleges were deputed by the Directorate of Health Services and Directorate of Medical Education & Research thereby making it a very successful event.