Focus on creating a roadmap for the industry to transform into an entity which can effectively tackle unprecedented challenges and opportunities which will arise in future
Healthcare Senate 2017, the national private healthcare business summit by Express Healthcare and The Indian Express Group, kickstarted at Novotel Airport in Hyderabad. After the success of its first edition in 2016, the three-day event’s focus this year is on ‘Building a future-ready healthcare sector in India’. An impressive gathering of healthcare leaders, game changers and innovators will focus on the roadmap to steer the industry towards transforming itself into an entity which is competent to handle both, opportunities and challenges of the future, which are likely to be unprecedented.
The event began with a Welcome Address by Viveka Roychowdhury, Editor, Express Healthcare, followed by a lamp lighting ceremony.
After an auspicious start, Thumbay Moideen, Founder & President, Thumbay Group gave the first keynote address at Healthcare Senate 2017, the second edition of the national private healthcare business summit. He spoke on the creation of an innovative, sustainable and self-financed private academic health system and elaborated on the efforts of the Thumbay Group in this direction. Moideen also revealed that the Thumbay Group has big plans for India and intends to make significant investments in the country.
An informative session by Rajan Bir Singh, CIO, Sify Technologies threw light on the digital trends in the healthcare industry including robotics, 3D printing, AI and IoT. He highlighted the need to build distinct healthcare technologies in a country like India which Is faced with the threat of increasing incidence of chronic diseases on one hand and escalating healthcare expenses on the other. He also spoke on how technology can usher better efficiencies and innovation in healthcare delivery through end-to-end digitalised patient flows and personalised treatment.
The day also saw two panel discussions on very pertinent topics. The first one, ‘Fighting the antibiotic apocalypse’ saw experts come together to find effective ways to tackle growing resistance to drugs and the huge adverse implications on the country’s health. The panel comprised Dr Clive Fernandes, Group Clinical Director, Wockhardt Hospitals & JCI Consultant, Joint Commission International, Dr Selwyn Colaco, COO, Cytecare Cancer Hospitals, Dr Nandakumar Jairam, Chairman, CEO & GMD Columbia Asia hospitals, Dr Subramanian Swaminathan, Infection Control Expert, Global Hospitals and Sumit Marwah, CEO & Director, Dispoline India.
The panelists were unanimous in their view that we need a multi-disciplinary approach to vanquish this growing menace. They recommended awareness, meaningful collaborations, learning from global experience etc as measures to be implemented as part of a comprehensive blueprint to curb AMR.
Evolving role of hospital pharmacies was the topic for the next discussion which had an eminent panel comprising Biplab Chatterjee, CEO, BPPI, Department of Pharmaceuticals, GoI; Dr Suresh Saravdekar, Chairman Hospital Division, IPA, Maharashtra; Prafulla Naigaonkar, Former Pharmacy in Charge,Tata Memorial Hospital; Dr Meena Shriniwas Shelgaonkar, Senior Research Consultant (Clinical Pharmacologist),CIIMS and Sojwal Vora, VP & Group Head–Supply Chain, Chief Procurement Officer, Manipal Hospitals.
The panelists in this session showcased how hospital pharmacies can become revenue boosters if leveraged effectively. At the same time, they also spoke on the steps needed to streamline pharmacy operations and make them more effective which included incorporating an efficient quality assurance programme, improving supply-chain management, compliance with regulations etc.
The first day of Healthcare Senate 2017, after knowledge-sharing galore, ended with a gala dinner which gave an opportunity to delegates to mix and mingle with their colleagues from different healthcare organisations across the country.