Ruby Hall offers virtual clinics

Odisha’s Sun Hospital Group has acquired land for its 200-bed tertiary cancer care hospital in Bhubaneswar though the private healthcare sector faces intense competition amidst costly technology adoption.

The cancer hospital, expected to be ready by 2020, is in addition to the expansion plan of five hospitals in small towns to serve the rural folks, said Dr Vinita Sawhney, medical director for the Cuttack-based Sun Hospital.

“We have just completed a 100-bed general hospital at Dhenkanal and plans to build three more hospitals in small towns close to rural folks,” said Dr Sawhney at the “Iconics of Healthcare” conference held in Singapore on 27 July 2018.

But razor-sharp competition, both from within the private sector as well as by a series of government initiatives, is making it hard for private hospital operators.

Some of the schemes are making it cheaper healthcare services in India but technology-driven private hospital costs are increasing, according to conference delegates.

Though the governments, both in New Delhi and at State levels, are releasing healthcare schemes, reaching out to the rural segment of the population is far from satisfactory.

Private sector can help but rural folks are yet to accept technologies, added Dr Manisha Karmarkar, chief operating officer at Pune’s Ruby Hall Clinic Group, which is run by Grant Medical Foundation.

The 550-bed hospital group works along with all the government’s healthcare schemes and has set up 50 virtual clinic-centres.

The tele-medicine service is supported by twice a week visits to rural areas by each of Ruby Hall’s doctors.

While technology has helped reach out to the people in rural regions, it is yet to be accepted widely, according to Dr Karmakar.

There is an urgent need to promote awareness of technology in healthcare sector, both the doctors stressed.

Technologies such as 3D CT Scan have been installed at Sun Hospital, but its operational costs are high.

Both the lady doctors have called for a standard policy in the healthcare sector and educate people in the backward areas on the benefit of using technologies. fiinews.com