On the way to new normal – Learnings and expectations

The third wave of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 has moved at a lightning speed. In less than three months, Omicron has spread around the world, caused record peaks in cases in many places, and is now declining just as quickly. In most places, the worst of the Omicron wave has passed, leading countries to loosen restrictions to a degree not seen in almost two years. While, as the uncertainty of the Covid pandemic remains, we can just have theories and predictions based on available data.

As we start the new financial year, equipped with the learnings and losses from the last two years, the healthcare industry and hospitals surely expect a government vaccine to boost our immunity and be back on the growth path to serve the community.

As a corporate, multi-super speciality hospital and a referral center in the district, the following are my expectations:

A healthy organization with the flexibility to adapt wisely as per the requirement to balance between communicable and non-communicable illnesses

• Infrastructure flexibility to tackle wave heights as and when these emerge exclusively among ER, critical care, load and logistic management in quarantine, and non-critical IP bed;
• Hospital spine is its staff – More alert, aware, and infection-vigilant hospital staff, with better awareness of CAB and complete vaccination histories. Strong infection-control protocols and their complianceWould not expect any untoward casualties due to treatment shortcomings or unavailability of medicines or beds; would prefer fewer dependencies on vital supplies and be more independent;
• Effective plan with a backup for oxygen generation and supply, procurement and vendor plan for smooth availability of vital medicines and an efficient fire management plan; and
• For effective bed management, would like to increase ventilated critical care beds and triage in ERWould like to focus on testing Covid with accuracy and precision in reports with the shortest turnaround time.

Would expect the following from compliance regulators and government authorities

• Chalk out a clear guideline path on the testing and vaccination related to Covid, across age groups;
• Smooth and uninterrupted supply of essentials like oxygen and lifesaving medicines available from sources without black marketing;
• As the number of people requiring vaccination has gone down, and ample stocks are available, a mechanism to either return or relabel surplus vaccine inventory nearing expiry;
• Resumption of international flights to boost medical value travel in the country; and
• Understand the hospital side and accordingly either subsidise GST on OP pharmacy, electricity unit rate, or help us with better rates for Covid-19 treatment under government and MJPJAY/AB Scheme to boost business.

Aligning the future with Central government’s digital health vision and digitization of health records. Realign our IT strategy and invest accordingly in infrastructure – hardware and software.

Align our hospital with a more data-centric approach. Data mining and analytics for business innovation is the need of the hour. For this, EMR compliance in hospital has to be 100 percent.

From a business perspective, would focus on business growth and try to catch up for lost opportunities

• As pandemic recedes and normalcy returns, expect elective work to increase and a need to focus on clinical excellence, super speciality, and high-end clinical work;
• New products and marketing initiatives for business development need to be focused intensely. Customer and consumer engagement and relationship activities for hospital-OP/IP/ER and referral footfalls to increase.
• Digital health, home healthcare vertical need to be strengthened;
• Build robust mechanism with TPA/government authorities for effective outstanding credit collection within a period with minimal deductions;
• Better coordination, communication, and followups, with minimal cost to recovery; and
• Negotiate hard with third-party payor – Insurance companies (private/GIPSAA) to understand the nature of our infrastructure, clinical and nursing quality, services offered, costs, inflation, obsoleting technologies, and capital expenditures, and revise service rates for empanelment.

In the end, as a private healthcare provider, we look forward to normalcy and to catch up on lost opportunities, simultaneously keeping ourselves ready for any uncertain Covid 19 mutations and serving our region and people with the best treatment – be Covid or non-Covid. We stand by our brand promise of we will treat you well.