Technology plays a massive role on almost all procedures and practices performed by healthcare professionals. Present age technology has powerfully influenced the healthcare institution that majorly concerns with providing the best level of medical services and promote overall well-being of an individual. The quality of services plays an in important role in shaping healthcare programs. The significance of technology in hospitals has resulted in an increase in its demand for medical treatments. Medicircle presents an exclusive series of leading healthcare CEO’s and IT Managers who are influential role model for others.

Dr. Swadeep Srivastava is a Public health Expert with about 25 years of experience working in ‘Healthcare Communications’ & ‘Health Awareness & Patient Education Space’ as Founder & Mentor at HEAL & also runs a ‘Patients Management Program’ as Founder & Chief Belief Officer of India Virtual Hospital. He is deeply integrated into the ‘healthcare’ ecosystem for the past 24 years as an Entrepreneur & Leader. He has always been committed to ‘Awareness & Behaviour Change in Healthcare Sector’ and continued this passion as the founder of World’s largest Health Writers Network, which dedicatedly runs the Health Media Capacity Building/Training Program for the past 15 years consistently under HEAL Foundation. He also mentors a dedicated healthcare communication solution provider organisation – HEAL Health Connect Solutions which provides 360-degree solutions to organisations in the health space. World Bank, Food Standards and Safety Authority of India, International Committee for the Red Cross, HealthCare at home, Cipla, Medtronic, Maharishi Ayurveda, BAXTER etc., are some of his recent associates.”

Changes to be Acquired

Dr. Swadeep says, “The governments need to work collectively to ensure delivery of quality, accessibility, availability and affordability. Quality is driven by market forces, but when supply is limited compared to demand, it takes a back seat. The governments and health regulatory bodies must ensure that quality standards and minimum patient safety protocols are enforced. The increase in public health spending should be accompanied by changes. A substantial part of public spending should be channelised into primary health.”

Dr. Swadeep emphasizes, “a lot needs to change. The doctor-to-patient, patient-to-bed, and equipment availability-to-utilisation ratios need to improve. The unbridled rise in the cost of secondary and tertiary care treatment in urban areas need to be checked. Communication and coordination skills among hospital staff and doctors, soft skills and time management, emergency health management, crisis management, and supply chain management need to improve drastically. A multi-prolonged approach is necessary, and its implementation needs to start immediately on a fast-track basis.”

Dr. Swadeep points out, “the need for more medical and nursing schools and health workers, particularly in rural areas. What is urgently required is a multi-layered, qualified, trained and committed workforce. We need a large number of health management professionals to run facilities and programmes efficiently. Healthcare is one of the largest sectors both in terms of employment and revenue generation,” says Dr. Swadeep.

Satisfying Career Path

Dr. Swadeep adds, “I have a passion for helping patients. Being the go-to person for advice on health-related matters for friends, family, and associates have brought the satisfaction of helping patients and caregivers in need of guidance. I have supported 14,000 patients in various ways such as the second opinion and the ‘Line of Treatment’ during past 24 years of my career. I have worked extensively with Indian healthcare industry and related industries including government officials at central and state level, development and other non-government organisations, FMCG, pharmaceutical, hospital, medical devices, healthcare delivery, and all peripheral and related industries. Over the past two decades, I have helped many doctors build their practice and become leading healthcare providers of their therapy. The names include leading cardiologists, endocrinologist, liver transplant surgeons, orthopaedics, etc. Using a mix of tools like patient mobilisation techniques, awareness campaigns, media management, digital marketing, etc., I have helped doctors increase their practice and become a brand,” says Dr. Swadeep. 

A New Beginning with Unique Opportunities

Dr. Swadeep stresses, “The healthcare industry is changing on several different fronts especially after the global COVID-19 pandemic from virtual and augmented reality to smart medicine and biotechnology. The year 2020 has witnessed some of the biggest drivers of change. With efficient use of technology, innovation, and further advancements in medical science, the healthcare industry is expected to come through triumphant from the crisis.”

Dr. Swadeep adds, “COVID-19 experience unmasked major deficiencies and inflexibility in our facility-based healthcare system. This crisis created a unique opportunity to fully reimagine and transform our healthcare delivery system that will be co-created with hospitals and rely on a new, more decentralized program, supported by technology and advanced logistics. This transformation has already begun and will accelerate.

The government needs to focus on a specially designed fiscal stimulus that can be gear up the policy and public health, to make the sector, the engine of GDP growth. It’s high time for India to spend a generous amount in the healthcare sector and not by increasing a little,” says Dr. Swadeep.

(Edited by - Renu Gupta)