BW HEALTHCARE WORLD AUGUST 2022

Rs 300

AUGUST 2022

www.bwhealthcareworld.com

THE
HEALTH FOR ALL

AGENDA

India’s healthcare sector post the
Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission

INSIDE:

BW
HEALTHCARE
WORLD
40 UNDER 40

EXCLUSIVE
INTERVIEW

DR R.S. SHARMA,
CEO, National

Health Authority
(NHA)

6th

AUGUST 2022

www.bwhealthcareworld.com

Arjun Dang Aryan Goyal Ashish Kumar Jain Divej Wadhwa Abhishek Shah Amrit Singh Anchal Gupta Archit Garg
Ahluwalia

Edmond Fernandes Gauri Agarwal Inish Merchant Jitten Vir Bhasin Kaushik Sarkar Khushboo Jain Manish Ranjan Manisha Kumar

CELEBRATING Healthcare
influencers under

INNOVATION the age of 40

Mansi Bansal Meghna A Singhania

Nakul Makkar Neha Sinha Mukesh Parmar Mukul Maurya Nilesh Aggarwal Piyush Jain

Prabhdeep Singh Pranav Bajaj Priyanka Goyat Rajasi Dharia Saad Hafeez Satyen Sanghvi Saurabh Kochhar Saurabh Pandey
Usmani

Shashank Saini Supriya Malik Tanvi Mayur Patel Vidur Mahajan Vishu Bhasin Vivek Srivastava Yogesh Agarwal Zaheer Adenwala





EDITOR-IN-CHIEF’S NOTE

ANNURAG BATRA CREATING VALUE IN
HEALTHCARE
 [email protected]
Progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing toward what
BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 6 will be. — Khalil Gibran

THE LAST FEW YEARS have witnessed rapid progress in healthcare
in India, not only because of government initiatives, but also owing to
greater involvement of private sector players in the healthcare industry.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced in 2021
that the government would spend Rs 64,180 crore to improve services
and facilities in the healthcare sector over the ensuing six years. In her
2022-23 Union Budget speech, Sitharaman highlighted new initiatives,
such as an open platform for the National Digital Health Ecosystem
and the National Tele Mental Health programme. The focus of the
government has been on leveraging technology to deliver affordable
health services, accessible to all segments of the population.

The significant vaccine coverage, amounting to 197 crore doses of
Covid vaccines dispensed across the country, is a testament to the
success of the CoWIN platform, which in turn showcases the progress
made in the digital public infrastructure (DPI) space. The DPI
vindicates India’s digital push, which has been much admired globally.
In an exclusive conversation with Dr R.S. Sharma, Chief Executive
Officer of the National Health Authority (NHA), we highlight the
innovations planned in the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).

In another interview with Dr Y.K Gupta, President, AIIMS Bhopal,
AIIMS Jammu and Principal Advisor (Project), THSTI - DBT, GOI,
we discuss the digital transformation of the healthcare sector and the
future use of artificial intelligence and telemedicine. While leveraging
technology remains a focus, medical education and research facilities
still need a push. In this issue, we examine the changing face of
the healthcare economy, deep-dive into the various aspects of the
Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), and attempt to fathom how
close we are to achieving the goal of universal health coverage.

This issue also spotlights healthcare inf luencers, who make up
the league of BW Healthcare World 40 Under 40. The theme was
digitisation in healthcare. The categories across which the winners were
selected were frontline medical professionals, healthcare technology
and infrastructure, pharmaceutical and medical appliances, apart from
nutrition and holistic health. These young leaders under the age of 40
are poised to lead the industry to new heights.

We hope you enjoy reading the features and articles in the ensuing
pages. Happy reading!

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BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 8 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

Presents

&

SAVE THE DATE

AUGUST 6, 2022

India International Centre, Delhi
9:00 am onwards

CELEBRATING THE JOURNEY OF HEALTHCARE IN INDIA

Padma Awardees and CEOs &
CXOs of Healthcare Companies

ATTENDEE Interaction of Padma Awardees
PROFILE with Healthcare Leaders

Admission is strictly by
invitation only

CONT
ISSUE 01 JULY 2022

12 Health Bulletin 26

Stay Covid appropriate; A mask that Towards Universal Health
could kill the virus; A new therapy to Coverage
combat cancer; & more
The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)
14 COLUMNS creates a sea change in the healthcare
economy of the country, which is still
(p. 14) Sunil Thakur, Partner at predominantly served by private sector players.
Quadria Capital writes on the services How far is India from its ‘health for all’ agenda
market in the most privatised healthcare market in the
world? Read on for a comprehensive report
(p. 18)Vishwanath Swarup, COO-India
Operations, Bharat Serums & Vaccines 16
writes on women’s health
In Conversation
(p. 20) Devlina Chakravarty, MD, DNB,
DMRD, DHA and Managing Director, Dr R.S. Sharma, Chief
Artemis Medicare, writes of the future of Executive Officer of the
healthcare in India National Health
Authority (NHA), talks of
(p. 116) Usha Banerjee, Group Director, unlocking the value of the
Nursing at Apollo Hospitals, writes of the digital public infrastruc-
challenges in nursing ture (DPI) and what it
could do for the
(p. 120) Ashwin B, Chief Operating healthcare sector
Officer at Exide Life Insurance writes on
life insurance

(p. 128) Mohit Nirula, CEO of Columbia
Pacific Communities, writes on ageing

(p. 130) Minnku Buttar, National
Award-winning Transformation and
Mindfulness Facilitator, writes on
wellness

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 10 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

ENTS

22 In Conversation 116 In Conversation

Dr Y.K. Gupta, President, AIIMS Bhopal & Avanti Birla, Founder, C. K. Birla
AIIMS Jammu, and Principal Advisor Healthcare, talks of infertility
(Project), THSTI-DBT, GOI talks of the issues and their treatment
ongoing transformation of the healthcare
sector, the future of AI and telemedicine & 122 Case Study
more
A Case Study on anaemia
32 In Conversation among women in urban slums
by Shilpa Sharma, Public
Healthcare is a business with a soul, says Dr Health Analyst, Swasti Health
Naresh Trehan, CMD, Medanta Hospitals, in Catalyst
an exclusive interview with BW Businessworld

36 40 Under 40

Redefining Healthcare

BW Healthcare World felicitates 40 entrepreneurs and influencers under
the age of 40 who are disrupting the healthcare industry using technology
to transform care delivery, reduce costs and improve access

(p. 38) ABHISHEK SHAH (p. 80) NAKUL MAKKAR 132 LAST WORD
(p. 40) AMRIT SINGH AHLUWALIA (p. 82) NEHA SINGHA
(p. 42) ANCHAL GUPTA (p. 84) NILESH AGGARWAL Cricketing icon and founder of
(p. 44) ARCHIT GARG (p. 86) PIYUSH JAIN YouWeCan Foundation, Yuvraj
(p. 46) ARJUN DANG (p. 88) PRABHDEEP SINGH Singh, who is also a cancer
(p.48) ARYAN GOYAL (p. 90) PRANAV BAJAJ survivor, talks about the
(p. 50) ASHISH KUMAR JAIN (p. 92) PRIYANKA GOYAT foundation and the work it is
(p. 52) DIVEJ WADHWA (p. 94) RAJASI DHARIA doing among cancer patients
(p. 56) GAURI AGARWAL (p. 96) HAFEEZ USMANI
(p. 58) INISH MERCHANT (p. 98) SATYEN SANGHVI Cover design by DINESH S. BANDUNI
(p. 60) JITTEN BIR BHASIN (p. 100) A SAURABH KOCHAR
(p. 62) KAUSHIK SARKAR (p102) SAURABH PANDEY; TOTAL NO. OF PAGES
(p. 64) KHUSHBOO JAIN (p. 104) SHASHANK SAINI INCLUDING COVER 134
(p. 66) MANISH RANJAN (p. 106) SUPRIYA MALIK
(p. 68) MANISHA KUMAR (p. 108) TANVI MAYUR PATEL
(p. 70) MANSI BANSAL (p. 110) VIVEK SRIVASTAVA
(p. 72) MEGHNA SINGHANIA (p. 112) YOGESH AGARWAL
(p.76) MUKESH PARMAR (p. 114) ZAHEER ADENWALA
(p. 78) MUKUL MAURYA

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advertisements.Thesepagesshouldnotbeconfusedwith BW Businessworld’seditorialcontent.

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 11 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

HEALTH BULLETIN

STAY COVID
APPROPRIATE

WITH MORE AND MORE recent
variants and sub-variants
of the coronavirus strain
surfacing every few months, it
is evident without doubt that

the pandemic has not lost steam yet.

Covid appropriate behaviour, like Photograph by Envato Elements

masking and social distancing, therefore, are here to transmissibility.

stay for now. According to the World Health Organization A new sub variant of Omicron BA.2.75, which was first

(WHO), Covid infections are rising globally with the advent detected in India, is also being monitored by the WHO as a

of the Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5. The BA.5 variant variant of concern. The BA.2.75 variant has also emerged

has a higher rate of infection and has been found in 83 in ten other countries so far.

countries, while BA.4 is present in 73 countries. It seems we are still in the middle of the pandemic and

Recently the WHO Chief announced that the BA.4 the virus still has a lot of force left. Medical experts say

and BA.5 variants were driving Covid waves around the that Covid appropriate behaviour should not be dropped,

globe. The WHO is currently monitoring Omicron, which as the pandemic is far from over. Our advisory is: stay

continues to be the variant of concern owing to its high protected, stay safe.

A MASK
THAT CAN
KILL COVID

RECENTLY RESEARCHERS in the United States have Photograph by CANVA
developed a N95 mask called the ‘N95 Respirator’ that
will not only reduce the spread of Covid, but also take quaternary ammonium polymers to the fibre surfaces of
down the Covid-19 virus when the mask comes in contact non-woven polypropylene fabrics, using UV- initiated
with it. The mask can be worn for longer periods, which will grafting. Only UV light and acetone, which are widely
cause less plastic waste, as the mask does not need to be accessible, were used by the team to develop the masks,
replaced frequently. making the process easy to implement. According to the
team of researcher,s this process can also be applied to
The N95 Respirator is made by grafting a broad the already manufactured polypropylene filters.
spectrum of antimicrobial polymers onto the
polypropylene filters which are used in the N95
masks. The team that worked on the product includes
researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT). The team has linked antimicrobial

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 12 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

A NEW

CANCER
THERAPY
THAT

BRINGS

HOPE However, at times the natural killers also limit the OV response.
Photograph by Vitanovski Improvements to deal with the limitations are underway.

RESEARCHERS in the United States have developed a Researchers are attempting to subsume the weak
novel process that is helping improve cancer therapy, by therapeutic activity and lessen the means of systemic
enabling destruction of tumour cells, without harming the delivery. These enhancements are being done by laboratories
nearby healthy tissues. of Shaun Zhang, Director, Centre for Nuclear Receptors and
Cell Signalling at Houston University, US.
Oncolytic virotherapy (OV) is being perceived as a
step ahead of all the other forms of immunotherapy, for The National Institute of Health has provided a $1.8 million
the oncolytic viruses can kill the tumour, while leaving grant to support the work. Exciting though the development
the healthy cells intact. It is being counted as the most is, for cancer patients, till the limitations in the therapy are
promising anti-cancer treatment in recent times. corrected there are still a few miles to conquer.

The virotherapy also initiates an antitumor immune
attack made of immune cells like the natural killer cells.

AURIGENE Photograph by CANVA

DISCOVERY JOINS regulatory efforts.
HANDS WITH EQRX The companies have informed that the funding for

AURIGENE DISCOVERY Technologies, a subsidiary discovery and development of the drugs and further
of Dr Reddy’s Labs, has entered into a drug discovery, commercialisation of any eventual drug will be shared by
development and commercialisation partnership with both the partners.
US-based EQRx.
— By Shivam Tyagi
This collaboration brings together Aurigene’s small
molecule drug discovery platform and EQRx’s business
model to expedite drug development in the fields of
oncology and immune-inflammatory disorders and to
enhance access to innovative medicines globally.

Under the terms of the partnership agreement, both
companies will collaborate on drug discovery, clinical
and preclinical development and commercialisation.
Aurigene is set to lead the drug discovery and preclinical
development with EQRx, taking responsibility for clinical
development, commercialisation, manufacturing and

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 13 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

COLUMN / SERVICES MARKET

INVESTMENT
OPPORTUNITIES
FOR INDIAN
HEALTHCARE
SERVICES

Agoodhealtheconomyminimisestheneedand
costofclinicalintervention,whilesimultaneously
deliveringahighqualityoflifeforitscitizens

The Indian healthcare By Sunil Thakur
sector is rife with in-
vestment opportuni- munisation, health education, nutrition, mother and
ties, especially so in childcare, and mental health.
the case of the private
sector. However, with heightened CHRONIC DISEASES
attention on healthcare that’s ac-
centuated and aided by the pan- Chronic diseases include a wide variety of ailments
demic, the focus is now on certain ranging from diabetes to hypertension, cancer, stroke,
segments, which, given the right asthma, COPD and more. Patients suffering from these
incentivisation, promise to create ailments have a varied and wide spectrum of care needs
a ripple effect that will see returns which is proactive, planned, long-term, coordinated,
not solely in commercial terms, but and continuous.
in their overall impact on society.
SECONDARY CARE
PRIMARY HEALTHCARE
Secondary care facilities currently service over 80 per
Primary healthcare provides the cent of in-patient and day care clinical procedures and
broadest service coverage starting interventions. Therefore, strategically locating hos-
from health promotion to essen- pitals and facilities to cater to areas of unmet needs,
tial outpatient services for several and delivering care through a template-based operat-
health disorders and disease pre- ing model of existing chains makes for an interesting
vention. It covers all products and investment proposition.
services used for primary treat-
ment, diagnostics and screening, SINGLE SPECIALITIES
fitness and wellness, prevention
and control of endemic disease, im- Single speciality hospitals, clinics and facilities offer
the advantage of an assembly line-like model to clinical
services that are rooted in deep specialisation enabled
by high velocity and high volume services and feeds of
a virtuous cycle of attracting doctors and patients for

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 14 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

Photograph by Everythingposs

Whilewesternseniorlivingindustrieshavereachedlevelsofmaturity,
Indiaisstillinitsinfancy,providingnodearthofopportunitiesto

investors,healthcareserviceproviders,tocreatescalablesolutions
forover100mnseniorscurrentlyresidinginthecountry

that specialisation. These models OUT OF HOSPITAL CARE MODELS
offer both quaternary care centres
of excellence as well as retail models This includes at-home healthcare, rehabilitation,
like dialysis centres, ophthalmology assisted and senior living. Home healthcare, along
chains, cancer centres etc. with remote monitoring and telehealth technolo-
gies, has a critical role to play in out-of-hospital care
FINANCING delivery. Further, increasing life span is creating a
huge need for geriatric rehabilitation. While western
While the government has solved senior living industries have reached levels of matu-
for secondary and tertiary care pro- rity, India is still in its infancy, providing no dearth
cedure financing for 50 per cent of of opportunities to investors, developers, healthcare
the bottom end of the population service providers and more, to create scalable solu-
and public officials, and the top end tions for over 100 million seniors currently residing
is largely provided for via private in the country. n
healthcare financing, there is a mas-
sive unmet need for financing from The author is Partner at Quadria Capital
the missing middle.

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 15 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

INTERVIEW

“The overarching goal of
ABDM is to leverage technology

to deliver equitable and
affordable health services”

India has, driven by the CoWIN platform, been able to dispense over 197 crore
doses of Covid vaccines as on June 28, 2022. The CoWIN platform is a testament to India’s

much admired digital push, and work in the digital public infrastructure (DPI) space.
Judging by reports, and the assessment of experts, the digital economy could create value in

excessof$1trillionby2025. NationalHealthAuthority(NHA) ChiefExecutiveOfficer
Dr R.S. Sharma, discussesunlockingthevalueofthedigitalpublicinfrastructure(DPI)

inaconversationwithJyotsna SharmaofBWBusinessworld

India has made significant progress in authentication.
the digital public infrastructure (DPI) Back then, this project was ahead of its time, and today it has
space. What is the best way to unlock
the value of the various platforms? become central to various processes such as banking etc. One
India has proved to the world that it is way of looking at it is a plug and play model – this authentica-
second to none in adopting technology tion can be used across various sectors to ease processes. Simi-
and innovating around it. The pandemic larly, for UPI, we thought about the fact that digital interactions
highlighted the need for a robust digital might require transactions. And, hence the UPI, which allows
public infrastructure (DPI). In particular, digital transactions remotely and securely.
the pandemic proved the value of digital
systems that were already in use, had ba- These DPI goods are horizontal and not built for any par-
sic but flexible functions, and could be ticular platforms. Further, these are based on open standards,
applied to the pandemic response effort open API, open source, and are scalable and interoperable. This
and other common challenges. means that irrespective of the systems used, communication
through these Digital Public goods is possible using standard
These digital public infrastructure APIs.
(DPI) systems included digital identifi-
cation, payments, and data exchanges. What are the challenges to the success of the DPI?
None of them were developed with the Generally, adoption of digital technologies by all the stakehold-
pandemic in mind, but they became criti- ers is a challenge for a country. For instance, we have many
cal enablers of public health, social pro- small clinics across the country which need to be brought on
tection, and economic responses by the to digital systems. Secondly, for the doctors, we need to provide
government, businesses, organisations, them a system which is easy to use. We have to find ways and
and individuals. innovate to make systems easy to use.

When we began this journey 12 years How can we get the privacy and customer engagement
back with the creation of Digital Identity aspects right?
for every individual, our aim was to pro- By design we created the digital public goods such that minimal
vide individuals a method to authenticate information is collected, and this information is encrypted.
their identity in an efficient manner. At Moreover, notice is given wherever the data is used, and consent
the moment, it is biometric and OTP- is taken before use. Then the purpose limitation is factored in,
based, but we are moving towards facial and individuals also have a facility to lock their authentica-

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 16 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

in rural areas is another crucial aspect
that requires focus. Internet for all and
access to mobile connectivity is very
important. Finally, job creation in the
IT sector will help solve the resource
crunch in the digital sector.

Photograph by Bobby Singh Which are key factors behind the
success of CoWIN?
It was the need for smooth and equi-
table vaccine coverage that drove the
creation of CoWIN. We needed a digital
backbone for a country-wide coverage
that was also portable and scalable.
Moreover, we wanted interoperability
so that people could book their vaccines
through various applications.

tion. These are some of the safety features In her 2022-23 Budget speech, Union Finance Minister,

that were introduced in the creation of the Nirmala Sitharaman, announced an open platform for the

Aadhar (Privacy by Design), and these National Digital Health Ecosystem under the Ayushman

have been followed for all other digital Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). What new innovations

public goods as well. The federated data have been planned for the ABDM?

structure also provides added security. Theoverarchinggoalof theABDMistoleveragetechnologyto

To get users engaged with these plat- deliver equitable and affordable health services in an accessible

forms, methods like ad- manner. Individuals can maintain longitudinal

vertising on social media “Digitalhealthneedsa history for better diagnostics that can be shared
could be used. Incentives with the physician, based on his consent. Fed-

can be rolled out for people majorfocusandpushas erated data structure is being maintained for
to engage with these pro- security of data.

grammes. We must focus on afterthepandemic We have also created building blocks such

better user support for the everybodyhascometo as a consent manager, authenticated registry
citizens and fast resolution of doctors, authenticated registry of facilities

of queries and grievances. realisetheimportance and so on.
Additionally, development These are the highlights of the ongoing ini-

of user-friendly and inter- ofhealth. Digitalhealth tiatives:
active websites and appli- l Consultation to build a ‘Drug Registry’ with
cations is important. Also, systemscanplaya credible information about drugs and their

let’s not forget that privacy crucialroleinconnecting substitutes. This is in the development process.
should be kept in mind while l We are working to create a Health Claims

developing any programme, patientstodoctors” Exchange (HCX) platform for swift processing

with proper frameworks and of insurance claims.

regulations in place. l RepurposeCoWINtobecomeaplatformfor

universal immunisation.

Which areas need more focus and a l Working along with NOTTO [National Organ and Tissue

bigger push? Transplant Organization] to digitalise processes for organ do-

Digital health needs a major focus and nation. An example would be auto-forwarding the information

push, as after the pandemic everybody about a brain death case to applicants desiring the said organ,

has come to realise the importance of auto-dissemination of information about a person needing an

health. Digital health systems can play a organ transplant etc.

crucial role in connecting patients to doc- We are also working to make available anonymised and ag-

tors online, helping them buy medication, gregated health data in the public domain for the benefit of the

and so on. research community.

Education about these programmes [email protected]

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 17 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

COLUMN / WOMEN’S HEALTH

THE MISSING
ECONOMIC
AND SOCIAL
INDICATOR

Scientificinnovationcanbearfruitsinanecosystem
thatpromotesholisticdiseasemanagementthrough
increasedawareness,andequitableaccesstogender-
unbiasedhealthcare

By Vishwanath Swarup

W hile much has the records of 2,377,028 outpatients who visited the AI-
been written and IMS medical facility from January to December 2016,
spoken on wom- only 37 per cent of women got access to health care!
en’s health, this
remains an area This gender disparity in access to healthcare has enor-
where much more can be done. To mous impact on the overall economic output of the coun-
begin with, the biopharmaceutical try. Addressing this gender and class disparity and pri-
industry continues to work towards oritising women’s health will go a long way in improving
addressing the medical needs of health outcomes that can further result in economic gain
women across the globe by bring- through creation of quality and healthy human capital.
ing innovative treatments and cures
that deliver positive health outcomes. And while we speak of women’s health, the state of
However, scientific innovation can women’s reproductive health is appalling. Risk of moth-
bear fruits in an ecosystem that pro- ers dying during pregnancy or childbirth in India has in-
motes holistic disease management creased by more than a third during Covid-19 compared
through increased awareness, and with pre-pandemic instances, revealed a review of data
equitable access to gender-unbiased published in The Lancet Global Health journal.
healthcare.
A specific challenge that exists in our country today is
Access to equitable healthcare in the significant number -- close to 13.5 lakh-of Rh-neg-
our country remains a challenge. A ative pregnant mothers who are at risk of sensitisation
2016 joint study conducted by re- while delivering Rh positive babies. The needs of these
searchers at the All-India Institute women are to be addressed with treatment such as the
of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the In- Anti-Rho (D) immunoglobulin products that can en-
dian Statistical Institute, Prime Min- sure good health of the new-borns. It is critical to create
ister’s Economic Advisory Council, awareness as well as expand access to such vital treatment
and Harvard University examined across the country in order to address this medical condi-
tion that can attribute to reduce the infant mortality rate.

Diagnostic tools such as Indirect Coombs Test (ICT)

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 18 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

Photograph by Indiapicturebudget

AccordingtoWorldHealthOrganizationestimates
theoverallprevalenceofprimaryinfertilityinIndiaisbetween3.9to

16.8percent.Oursocietybeingapro-natalistone,infertilityis
perceivedmoreasasocialstigma

assist Rh-negative pregnant moth- novations in treatments, changes in the policy land-
ers with diagnostic support to iden- scape will catalyse the manner in which infertility is
tify and rationalise interventions viewed. The Assisted Reproductive Technology Regu-
required to ensure the well-being of lation Act 2021 and the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act,
Rh-positive babies delivered. 2021 are encouraging and progressive, and, much
needed path-breaking steps to protect women’s re-
Take the case of infertility. Accord- productive rights.
ing to the National Health Portal
(NHP), India, infertility affects up to The emphasis for women’s health must shift from cu-
15 per cent of reproductive-aged cou- rative care to holistic preventive care. Today science has
ples worldwide. According to World much to offer in terms of advanced and innovative treat-
Health Organization estimates the ments and cures.
overall prevalence of primary infertil-
ity in India is between 3.9 to 16.8 per It is critical to strengthen the current health systems
cent. Our society being a pro-natalist and make them gender unbiased. This calls for a pro-
one, infertility is perceived more as gressive healthcare ecosystem which recognises innova-
a social stigma. And while it affects tion and explores solutions that address accessibility and
both men and women, women bear awareness. n
the brunt!
The author is COO-India Operations,
While science can bring forth in- Bharat Serums & Vaccines

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 19 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

COLUMN / HEALTH

TAKING
HEALTHCARE TO
THE NEXT LEVEL

Indiahasmadeconsiderableimprovementsto
makehealthcareaccessibleandaffordableto
themassesinthelasttwodecades.Still,interms
ofpenetration,therearealotofgapstobefilled,
especiallyinruralandremoteareasofthecountry

By Devlina Chakravarty

Government policies nology and providing medical care to people from other
of Universal Health regions of the world. India’s economic growth, stability
Coverage are show- and sustainability depend primarily on its healthcare
ing promising re- delivery systems and infrastructure. India is fortunate
sults, although lots to have the most competent doctors globally, adopt-
can be done to improve it further. ing best-in-class medical technology. There are great
A more graded policy approach islands of excellence in public and private hospitals, de-
is required to create an inclusive livering world-class healthcare services with excellent
healthcare system. The Covid-19 outcomes. The gap lies in healthcare delivery to those
pandemic has further brought the at the bottom of the pyramid, which is still a consider-
healthcare sector into focus. Today, able number who cannot afford quality healthcare. The
we are witnessing record invest- public hospitals are either overwhelmed with too many
ments both from the private sector patients or are just not equipped with the required doc-
and the government to upgrade the tors to attend to these patients.
healthcare infrastructure across
the country. Healthcare is also one The long-term solution is increasing the number of
of the largest sectors in terms of em- medical colleges and undergraduate and post-grad-
ployment, and it is also becoming uate seats, revamping the existing colleges, creating
one of the top revenue earning sec- more public hospitals, and equipping them. But the
tors in the country, poised to grow problem is it is a capital-intensive and heavily time-
at a brisk pace. With focused invest- consuming solution. The intermediate solution in the
ment in healthcare innovation and immediate future is to create robust public-private
infrastructure, India can integrate partnerships. Private players can use the underutilised
more and more people under the public hospitals or departments where manning is a
umbrella of universal healthcare problem. Private players can treat people under the
and become a world leader in tech- Ayushman Bharat EWS schemes in these hospitals. This
system should be subjected to government audits every
BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 20
WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

Photograph by Indiapicturebudget

Theintermediatesolutionintheimmediatefutureistocreaterobust
public-privatepartnerships.Privateplayerscantreatpeopleunder

theAyushmanBharatEWSschemesinhospitals

quarter, and the operators’ perfor- tion as a long-term solution. In the future, India can
mance should be discussed. Private lead the world in healthcare with the best medical pro-
players should be allowed to use their fessionals and technology and provide cost-effective
CSR funds against the manning of care for the world to emulate medical tourism, which
these government hospitals. is growing at a rapid pace in India, and could make us
the world leader in the years to come. India could take
The future of healthcare deliv- the lead in clinical research and translational research
ery systems is digitalisation. Re- in the future with great clinical scientists, monitoring
mote monitoring and uberisation systems and substantial investments happening in
of healthcare professionals lead to these areas. Indian healthcare is ready to take off as a
more uniform and better monitor- global leader. Solutions are all there for implementa-
ing and deployment of healthcare tion. The private players should be given incentives for
professionals. The gaps in the deliv- lesser import duties, lower IT returns, etc. n
ery systems can be handled if pub-
lic-private players come together as The author, MD, DNB, DMRD, DHA is the Managing Director
a medium-term solution and health of Artemis Medicare Services
infrastructure and health educa-

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 21 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

INTERVIEW “Only
Technology
Healthcare delivery and accep- Can Bridge
tance seem to have undergone a
change in the last 2-3 years. What in The Gap”
your opinion seems to have changed
in the healthcare sector in India InanexclusivechatwithBWHealthcare
from the perspective of caregivers World,DrY.K.Gupta,President,AIIMS
and care-seekers?
In last few years, the health budget of Bhopal&AIIMSJammu,andPrincipalAdviser
the Union Government has gone up (Project),THSTI-DBT,GOItalksaboutthe
tremendously, it is now over Rs 88,000 ongoingtransformationofthehealthcare
crore which is almost Rs 16,000 crore sector,thefutureofAIandtelemedicine,
more than the previous budget and
now it’s touching nearly 2.1 per cent of healthcareaffordability,thesignificanceof
GDP. Many experts say it is expected medicaleducationandtrainedworkforceand
that it should be higher and if it reach-
es 2.5 per cent of GDP it may be ideal, howgenomicsishelpinginthetreatmentof
but I think even 2.1 per cent is reason- diseases,amongotherthings
ably good.
By Harbinder Narula
Additionally, there is artificial intel-
ligence (AI) and telemedicine which healthcare can be provided from cities to the remotest
hase revolutionised the healthcare areas like villages. People have started adopting telemedi-
system of India. With telemedicine cine but I would still say it is in an early stage. It requires
a sea change to thrive — conveying the message correctly,
BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 22 acceptability in the patient and understanding what the
doctor is saying, the behavioral change, the administrative
change, the societal change.

The gaps in healthcare infrastructure, including low
doctor-patient ratio and low hospital beds-patient
ratio, have been a topic of debate for decades. What
do you think the government and the private sector
should be doing to reduce the gaps?
We have found that, after the assessment of the doctors in
the country, there is a need to increase the doctor-patient
ratio and for that the seats for MBBS and PGs in all medical
colleges have been increased. In addition to 20 AIIMS, we
have added nearly 100 medical colleges in the last one year.
The National Academy of Medical Sciences is also em-
phasising on the same i.e., continuous medical education.

WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

Photograph by CANVA need to have these beds in the rural areas and semi urban
areas also.
However, we have to be cautious
about quality. At no stage the increase There is a shortage of trained healthcare professionals
in the number of doctors should com- at all levels including doctors, technicians and nurses.
promise their quality. Perhaps we What do you think needs to be done to produce more
have to incentivise the best doctors to trained professionals in India?
come into medical colleges and take Indian doctors are among the most preferred in the west.
up teaching, but many times they drift So like in the US, in India also we have to ensure that the
to private practice because the money doctors are not only competent in their diagnosis but are
is more there, hence that needs to be also compatible with technological developments. Tech-
looked at as well. nology is developing fast so that it’s important for doctors
to be in sync with it.
Covid made us realise that we are
hugely short of beds, and due to that The paramedics, be it the nurses or the technicians,
every hospital now has been asked to need to be trained with the most modern equipment in
increase the beds for emergency pur- such a way as to ensure least breakdown of the high-end
poses. There are two ways of doing equipment. They should also be capable of carrying out
this. One, you have a large number of minor repairs and ensuring that the equipment is used in
beds and have a reasonable number of a calibrated manner. I think the Skill India project can do
ICUs. Or, more importantly, one has to more in this aspect; they can create trained dental techni-
create a system where in the shortest cians, OT masters, paramedics for orthopedics problem or
possible time the normal beds can be physiotherapy. And with the ongoing emphasis on deliver-
converted into ICUs and that is what ing healthcare to homes, we need such trained paramedics.
the practice and preparedness is at
present. But perhaps there is still a WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 23

INTERVIEW

Do you think technology can bridge Ibelievethatthebestofthemedicinesshould
the gaps in healthcare faster and
quicker rather than relying on beavailableinIndiabutalsobelievethatthe
physical infrastructure?
It’s only technology which can bestofthemedicinesshouldnotbeoutof
bridge the gap, but technology has
to be such that it is easily under- reachofthemasses.Thecostoftreatmentin
standable and can be easily oper-
ated by the lower level staff as well. hospitalsalsohastoberationalised
Now look at the technology of the
smartphone, people can check their per cent of their original price, thanks to the rationalisa-
heart rate, their blood pressure, tion of the prices. I believe that the best of the medicines
their blood sugar through these should be available in India but also believe that the best
technologies, which is good but one of the medicines should not be out of reach of the masses.
also needs to be cautious. Because The cost of treatment in hospitals also has to be rational-
if a person is asked to walk 10,000 ised. Profit is important for industry but profiteering is not
steps a day and he walks only 9,000 good and that is where the regulation works. The industry
then in the evening he becomes rest- is extremely supportive of this and they themselves are
less, he doesn’t go off to sleep, so that reducing the number of fixed dose combinations.
type of stress coming out of the use
of technology is worst. Technology Do you think AI will impact the role of humans in
should be used with caution and ap- healthcare in the future?
plication of mind. Artificial intelligence is the end thing — whether it’s the
diagnosis or predicting the efficacy, toxicity or safety of
Photograph by CANVA a product, it’s everywhere. For instance, if you are doing
X-rays for mass screening of tuberculosis, it will require
a large number of radiologists to evaluate each film, and
there may be individual variability also. But if we have a
wonderful algorithm, which can read the minor possible
difference between what you identify as normal and what
you have identified as tuberculosis and then also detect a
simple case of obesity, one can predict the possibility of a
disease in a person, a group or the community, and that
ultimately reduces the workload of the clinicians.

So, AI will reduce the workload of a radiologist but it will
not completely finish their role because the final impres-
sion and the final analysis will come from a brain. AI can
replace the accuracy but it cannot replace the human emo-
tion which is involved with the patient communication.

What is the government doing to What will the role of genomics be in better clinical
make healthcare affordable for all? outcomes in the future? Will it impact the prevention
Only the government’s efforts cannot of a disease or will it drive fear and create a mental
make healthcare affordable; it has to health issue?
be a concerted effort from the govern- Suppose I do a genome analysis of a person and predict
ment, the pharmaceutical industry, that he has a criminal nature or that he will become very
the corporate hospitals, the dispensa- intelligent, but these types of interpretations may cre-
ries and the state governments. The ate a wrong impression and tension. On the other hand,
National List of Essential Medicines genomics has become a very important tool starting from
of India which creates a basis for price the clinical research. If we do the genomic analysis and we
regulation has reduced the price of have a uniform population then the clinical trials can be
more than 40 anti-cancer drugs with done in a much smaller number for a smaller period and
the result that the price of many anti- with better predictability. n
cancer drugs is now down to up to 70
[email protected]

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 24 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

Presents

Doctor’s Round Table
‘Remote Cardiac Monitoring - Way to save more lives’

In association with Knowledge Partner

In a recently concluded roundtable discussion, some of Indian's senior most cardiologists deliberated on "Remote Cardiac Monitor-
ing – Way to Save More Lives” and AliveCor introduced its personal electrocardiogram (ECG) technology.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

DR. T.S. KLER

Padma Bhushan and Chairman, Fortis Heart and Vascular Institute, Fortis Memorial Research Institute
Over decades in our nation, three diseases - hypertension, diabetes and heart related diseases have been increasing where
over the last 30 to 40 years junk food has been a major problem. Hence, our diet and lifestyle have increased our problems.
Smoking and an unhealthy diet has been the biggest problem along with lack of exercise.

DR. SUBHASH CHANDRA

Chairman and HOD Cardiology, BLK – Max Super Specialty Hospital
We need to educate people about heart related issues as the mass public needs awareness. The onus lies on us to educate

the society. That is why we as a fraternity have been doing programs on television and radio, along with conducting
meetings and social gatherings.

DR. J.P.S. SAWHNEY

Senior Consultant and Chairman, Department of Cardiology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital
Remote heart care, the ‘heart’ of the topic, is a development which is extremely helpful in saving lives, through technology.
Though obviously the human element is important, technology is the key to saving many lives.

DR. SUNIL DWIVEDI

Consultant Cardiologist, Manipal Hospital, Millers Road, Bengaluru
Regular monitoring of vitals at home can be a double edged sword. If you promote it at the mass level then the cost benefit

ratio or the convenience benefit ratio may not fit in. It should be in some parts of the population only like elderly
population with hypertension and diabetes. People with heart disease and stroke should be monitored.

DR. BIPIN KUMAR DUBEY

HOD and Consultant Cardiac Sciences , Manipal Hospitals, Delhi
The severity of the symptoms is not directly related to the severity of the disease. Most of the time cardiac heaviness or
discomfort is not a serious heart related issue. Around 20% of cardiac pains are in the upper stomach region. This is the
most confusing thing about gas. There is a double jeopardy when people think it is acidity.

DR. RAKESH RAI SAPRA

Senior Consultant and Director Cardiology, QRG Super Specialty Hospital Faridabad
ECG interpretation and diagnosis is something that a large majority of physicians actually shy away from because it is a bit

tricky. We need some time to teach general physicians or set basic protocols if they have patients coming in with heart
related issues.

HEALTHCARE COVER STORY

TheAyushmanBharat
DigitalMissionstrives
toprovideuniversal
healthcarecoverage
to1.4billionIndiansin
acountrywherethe
healthcaremarketis
themostprivatised.
BWHealthcare World
takesacloselookat
thismissionandthe
challengesbeforeit
ByUpasana

INDIA’S
HEALTHCARE
ECONOMY
POST ABDM

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 26 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

INDIA HAS EMBARKED on an ambitious mission to create a modern Photograph by PIB
healthcare system, accessible to all of its 1.4 billion denizens. Major
policy changes have been announced over the past few years to inject
technology, funds and quality into the healthcare ecosystem. The Ay-
ushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) now puts in place a system
and policies that could prove the ropeway to this very tall task.

The vision and mission of the ABDM is at the moment riddled with chal-
lenges, the most significant of which is the low public expenditure on health
and the high cost of private healthcare facilities, which incidentally dominate
the healthcare infrastructure in the country. India has the most privatised
healthcare market in the world. The share of both the private sector as well as
public expenditure on healthcare, is dismally low as a percentage of the GDP
and the situation has only worsened over the last decade. There has been a
steady decline in both public investment and expenditure on healthcare.

Notwithstanding India’s commitment to the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations to achieve Universal Health Coverage
(UHC), its total healthcare expenditure is around 2.1 per cent of its GDP.
Countries with the best medical systems spend slightly more than 10 per cent of
their GDP on health services. Countries like Canada and the United Kingdom,
for instance, spend around 10 per cent of their GDP on healthcare. In Canada,
health insurance is financed mainly by the government and the private sector
is responsible for delivering a lot of the healthcare services.

In the UK, the government finances healthcare through the National Health
Service (NHS). The UK has actually socialised medicine. The UK government

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HEALTHCARE COVER STORY

Photograph by Indiapicturebudget Max Healthcare – Pan Max.

not only finances care, but also provides it through the AYUSHMAN BHARAT DIGITAL MIS-
NHS. Coverage is broad and most services are free for SION: While the best treatments are available at a
the citizens, even though a private system also runs par-
allel to the public one. In the UK, government spending cost, the vast majority dependent on the public health-
accounts for more than 80 per cent of all healthcare care infrastructure funded by the Union and state gov-
expenditure. The healthcare system in Denmark is uni- ernments are often unable to access medical facilities. To
versal too and based on the principle of free and equal bridge this gap a step was taken toward universal health
access to medical care for all citizens. Quality services coverage on 27 September, 2021, when Prime Minister
are provided by the Danish government and financed Narendra Modi flagged off the Ayushman Bharat Digi-
through taxes. tal Mission. (ABDM). Launching the ABDM via video
conferencing, in the presence of Mansukh Mandaviya,
Ironically, India has emerged as a global healthcare Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Dr
provider and a tourist destination for healthcare and Bharati Pravin Pawar, Minister of State for Health and
well-being services over the past few years, even as a vast Family Welfare, the Prime Minister had said that the
majority of its own population remains underserved. initiative of strengthening healthcare facilities that had
been going on for the last seven years was entering a new
While it is true that the healthcare system in India has phase. “Today we are launching a mission that has the
fallen behind in terms of technology, infrastructure and potential of bringing a revolutionary change in India’s
facilities, the situation is fast changing. At present, the health facilities,” the Prime Minister had emphasised.
healthcare system in the country combines skilled man-
power with high-end technology and infrastructure. “The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission is a revolu-
“In order to compete globally, India can have an edge by tion and will help us in digital records keeping,” Union
reducing costs of medical treatment by adopting more Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had said then.
Make in India medical consumables, thereby giving The ABDM aspires to establish the backbone crucial
us a competitive advantage while delivering high-end to support the integrated digital health infrastructure
medical care. And India can definitely do this, as we have of the country. It will fill the extant gap among various
manufacturing capabilities,” says Dr Ambrish Mithal,
Chairman and Head - Endocrinology and Diabetes,

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“Enthusiastic involvement of industry and stakeholders of the healthcare ecosystem through digi-
leading healthcare professionals is a must. For tal highways.
the world’s largest democracy with the best
healthcare workers, this is a readily achievable The ABDM aims to ensure the highest possible level
target, given firm political will and national of healthcare and well-being of all age-groups, through
pride,” a promotive and preventive healthcare orientation in
all the Union government’s developmental policies. It
Dr Ajoy Menon, Senior Medical strives to ensure universal access to good quality health-
Administrator, Amrita Hospital, Kochi care services for all and uplift underserved Indians from
a situation where paying for medical facilities leads to
“In order to compete globally, India can have severe financial hardship for most.
an edge by reducing costs of medical treat-
ment by adopting more Make in India medical DIGITAL IDENTITY: To take forward the goal of
consumables, thereby giving us a competitive
advantage while delivering high-end medical adopting digital technologies of the National Health
care. And India can definitely do this, as we Policy, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Wel-
have manufacturing capabilities,” fare has formed a committee headed by J. Satyanara-
yana to create an implementation framework for the
Dr Ambrish Mithal, Chairman and National Health Stack. This committee developed the
Head - Endocrinology and Diabetes, National Digital Health Blueprint (NDHB), laying out
Max Healthcare – Pan Max the building blocks and an action plan to assiduously and
holistically implement digital healthcare. This docu-
BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 29 ment describes the broad context, rationale, scope and
implementation arrangements of a digital ecosystem for
healthcare services across the nation.

The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission will ensue
that every Indian national gets a digital health ID, while
the health record is protected digitally. The ABDM is
based on 4 digital systems, namely, the Universal Health
Identification (UHID), Healthcare Professionals Regis-
try (HPR), Health Facility Registry (HFR) and ABHA
Mobile App (PHR). The UHID system will be used for
uniquely identifying people, authenticating them and
keeping their health records across multiple stakehold-
ers and systems, but only with the consent of the patients.

The HPR is a comprehensive repository of all health-
care professionals involved in the delivery of healthcare
services across all systems of medicine, both traditional
and modern. Enrolling in the HPR will enable health-
care professionals to get connected to India’s digital
health ecosystem. The HFR is an extensive storehouse of
health facilities of the country across different systems
of medicine. It includes both private and public health
facilities including clinics, hospitals, imaging centres,
diagnostic laboratories and pharmacies etc. Enrolling
in the HFR will help medical service providers connect
with the country’s digital health ecosystem.

The personal health record (PHR) or the ABHA mo-
bile app, is an electronic record of health-related infor-
mation of individuals that conforms to nationally recog-
nised interoperability standards and can be extracted
from multiple sources while being shared, managed
and controlled by the individual. The most impressive
feature of the PHR and the one that differentiates it from
the electronic medical records (EMR) and the Electronic

WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

HEALTHCARE COVER STORY

Health Record (EHR), is that the information it con- private sector healthcare system. The most pressing
tains is in the control of the individual. issues that plague the Indian healthcare system include
lack of awareness and negligence of personal health,
DATA PRIVACY: One of the major concerns of the aggravated by poverty, poor quality of life and low level
of education.
ABDM system is data privacy and protection. How will
the ABDM system ensure safety, security and privacy of “India has a vast healthcare system and is one of the
an individual’s sensitive health information? Security- most popular destinations for medical tourism because
by-design is a primary fundamental embedded in the of the affordable and quality healthcare services. India
National Digital Health Blueprint that forms the basis needs to invest more on cutting-edge healthcare tech-
of the ABDM’s design. The Ayushman Bharat Digital nologies and Research & Development. We should also
Mission aims to achieve this by implementing a well- focus on making healthcare accessible for all,” says Dr
crafted federated architecture wherein the patient’s Deepak Namjoshi, Medical Director, CritiCare Asia
transactional data (EMRs) is held near the point of care, MultiSpecialty Hospitals and Research Centre.
instead of being stored in more vulnerable, centralised
systems, and ensure that all other IT systems access it There is a dearth of qualified healthcare personnel,
only through links. making the delivery of healthcare services to every
household impossible. The high cost of healthcare and
These links arranged chronologically to constitute uneven coverage of health insurance, exponentially in-
the patients’ EHR will also be saved at the state level. creases the cost of quality healthcare facilities in India,
No health records will be held at the national level. Since in comparison to countries like Canada, the UK and
each data type will be stored at only one level, this will Denmark, where governments fund healthcare services.
ensure uniqueness and consistency. Any personal health
information in the form of a reference link moves across TELEMEDICINE & TELECONSULTA-
secure health networks and all such transactions are also TION: During the coronavirus pandemic, the phar-
supervised by the 24x7 security surveillance operations
centre. This federated data infrastructure and related maceutical industry underwent a digital transformation
processes will ensure high levels of security for health and continues to implement innovative digital strate-
information. gies. The supply chains and logistics in the healthcare
industry witnessed bizarre disruptions. The growing
CHALLENGES: The best healthcare facilities in demand for healthcare supplies and pharmaceutical
equipment necessitated adoption of digital technolo-
the world are largely funded by governments through gies by the pharmaceutical sector. The industry needed
taxes. India’s healthcare system is not only the most pri- to develop technology-based applications and cutting-
vatised in the world, but also has the most unregulated edge R&D to facilitate out-of-hospital care and provide

“India has a vast healthcare

system and one of the most

popular destinations for medical

tourism because of the afforda-

ble and quality healthcare ser-

vices. India needs to invest more

on cutting-edge healthcare

technologies and Research &

Development. We should also fo-

cus on making healthcare acces-

sible for all,”

Dr Deepak Namjoshi,
Director,
CritiCare Asia Multispecialty
Hospitals and Research
Centre

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“Not just for patients, digi- alised drugs, improved
talisation benefits the diagnosis and treatment
whole healthcare support,” emphasises V.
ecosystem: In early R&D Simpson Emmanuel,
GM, Roche Products
and clinical development
India.

through new insights in bi- Telemedicine ha s

ology and human disease, in proved to be an effec-
Regulatory & Reimburse- tive tool for accessing
ment through speed to mar- healthcare, particularly
ket and improved health during the pandemic.
It not only caters to the
economic assessment, in
needs of patients by re-

manufacturing & distribu- ducing the load on hos-

tion through highly individu- pitals but also provides
seamless and remote
alised drugs, improved diag- access to healthcare re-
nosis and treatment sources.
support,”
India has crossed a
V. Simpson
milestone in its e-health

Emmanuel, GM, journey with the eSanje-
Roche Products India evani telemedicine ser-
vice of the Union Health

Ministry. The service

has already provided

more than three crore tele-consultations. Moreover,

‘eSanjeevani’ telemedicine has set a new record by com-

pleting 1.7 lakh consultations in a day. This service has

helped bridge the rural-urban divide by taking quality

health services to the doorstep of beneficiaries.

healthcare services at the doorstep. THE WAY FORWARD: Speaking of the ABDM,
Hybrid models and a digital platform were developed
Dr Ajoy Menon, Senior Medical Administrator, Am-
and optimised for integrating digital healthcare tech- rita Hospital, Kochi, says, “Enthusiastic involvement
nologies for patient care. Telehealth and telemedicine of industry and leading healthcare professionals is a
will witness a massive growth in the near future with must. For the world’s largest democracy with the best
the induction of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine healthcare workers, this is a readily achievable target,
learning (ML). Virtual Reality and Robotics will also given firm political will and national pride.”
play a proactive and significant role in the pharmaceuti-
cal industry. Indubitably, it is time India moved beyond being a
‘pharmacy garden’ and emerged as a global leader in
Every phase of the patient’s journey toward accessing healthcare facilities. Given its excellent track record in
medical facilities is today influenced by digital innova- medical tourism, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)
tions. Technology is enhancing better patient experience initiatives and its massive digital health footprint, this is
through personalised and curated content and services, definitely an achievable aim.
based on unique patient profiles and behaviour. “Not just
for patients, digitalisation benefits the whole health- The way forward is to aggressively pursue the National
care ecosystem: In early R&D and clinical development Digital Health Blueprint, follow the architectural and
through new insights in biology and human disease, in infrastructural roadmap for integration of health data
Regulatory & Reimbursement through speed to market across the nation and allocate a higher budget towards
and improved health economic assessment, in manu- healthcare and reduce the dependence on imported
facturing and distribution through highly individu- healthcare equipment, felt most experts BW Healthcare
World spoke to. The policy makers and the vast and com-
petent private sector healthcare infrastructure in India
now need to be on the same page. n

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 31 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

COVER STORY

Healthcare Is Not An Industry

Healthcare is a business with a soul and no one should forget that. It is not
for a company or sector but for the nation itself, urges Dr Naresh Trehan,
Chairman and MD, Medanta Hospitals

T HE last two years imparted several lessons our efforts. We have at least one Asha (Accredited Social
but the important question is how much of it Health Activist) in every village. These are supposed to
will remain. Two aspects stood out in the wake function at a low level.
of Covid. The first was that something this
life-threatening could happen to a perfectly healthy indi- Augmenting the Structure
vidual who did not expect to even get sick. And second, it
pointed out that people with comorbidities and maladies We should upgrade our Ashas, who already have ground
have become even more vulnerable, to the point that they presence and some basic level of skills to become front-
could be subjected to fatal threats. Covid brought this line workers. They become our eyes and ears and help in
realisation. But memories fade quickly. prevention. They should also have the function to triage,
which is to advise on the order of treatment. That will
People have thrown all caution to the wind, This is bring in the aspect of early detection. The government
especially true for the young, who are then infecting the has several good schemes like Swachh Bharat, Swasth
elderly and children. As individuals, and as part of a so- Bharat, Ayushman Bharat in place already. If these three
ciety, people cannot forget the virus is still lurking. The
scientific community, in fact, firmly believes it will pro- “ We should upgrade our Ashas,
long in different forms. The only thing we can do is build who already have ground pres-
our health and immunity to a level that we are protected ence and some basic level of skills
against any infections that come down the pipe or any to become frontline workers”
more mutations of this deadly virus.

The Bigger Picture are integrated, wellness centres should be within
reach of every village.
Don’t look at healthcare as an industry but an impor- With these, the whole chain is established,
tant pillar that represents a sector. The moment and digital reach comes in very handy at
you think of it as an industry, commerce takes pre- this point. If we are digitally connected to
cedence, which is not a good thing for healthcare. every aspect of this chain, this is where the
Healthcare is a business with a soul and no one interconnectivity between private and gov-
should forget that. I would argue healthcare is not ernment can be incorporated and we can all
for any company or a sector but for the nation. work together. Once this is done, and
you still have people who need
When you talk about incorporating policies tertiary care, that is where you
into the healthcare system of the country, need the infrastructure that
it works at different levels. Today, we is not adequate today. The
have a given burden of communicable need for healthcare educa-
and non-communicable diseases and tion, hospitals, more doctors
both are still rampant. Dengue and and nurses all need to be
Covid have overtaken all infectious addressed. The first step
diseases, which is a further sign that in change, however, is to
we need to improve hygiene, bottom- make all of this to move
up, at every level we can find. forward in tandem. n
(Comments made
We must ensure every human while addressing BW
being in India has access to de- Healthcare 40 Under 40
cent civic amenities because that Summit)
by itself will reduce the disease’s
burden hugely. The second thing
is how do we monitor or survey

Photograph by Ritesh Sharma

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 32 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

#HR40Under40

CELEBRATING TOP 40 UNDER 40
IN HUMAN RESOURCES
OCTOBER, 2022

JURY MEMBERS

DR. ANNURAG VIPUL PAVITRA ANURAG HARSHVENDRA VISHPALA
BATRA SINGH SINGH PATNAIK SOIN REDDY

Chairman & Editor-in-Chief Divisional Vice President & CHRO Head of HR Global Chief People Officer Head of HR-Indian Subcontinent

BW Business World Head of HR, ADP PepsiCo India Nestle India Tech Mahindra Philips

Founder Exchange4Media

SUKHJIT RACHNA HARSH DIVYA VIKRAM YUVARAJ
PASRICHA MUKHERJEE WARDHAN SRIVASTAVA BECTOR SRIVASTAVA

President & Group CHRO CHRO - India and South Asia CEO CHRO - South Asia President & CHRO Group CHRO

Kotak Mahindra Bank Schneider Electric CSC India GE Healthcare Piramal Enterprises Make My Trip

AMIT DEEPTI KAVITA SUNANDAN BHANJA NOOR FATHIMA TALEES
SHARMA GUPTA DASAN CHAUDHURY WARSIA RIZVI

Vice President, Head People EVP & Head HR Head - People Practices Executive Partner Group Editorial Director Director Projects &

& Culture, India Jubilant FoodWorks ABP News Network The Taplow Group BW Businessworld Communities

Volvo Group BW Business World

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INTERVIEW

“New Global
Centre for Traditional
Medicine could be a

game-changer”

InabidtogetmoreinsightabouttheGCTMandcurrent
Covid-19situation,BWBusinessworldspoketo

DrPoonamKhetrapal,WHORegionalDirector,South
EastAsia By Poonam Singh

How will the establishment of traditional medicine, gathering evidence and data to
the WHO’s Global Centre for inform policies, standards and regulatory frameworks,
Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in ensuring sustainability and equity and, innovation and
India help us? technology to maximise the role of traditional medi-
More than 80 per cent of people cine in global health and sustainable development.
globally use traditional medicine
and practices and for many people, What is the importance of traditional medicines in the
traditional medicine is the first port healthcare system?
of call. In India, traditional medi- Traditional medicine and practices are in use in over
cine and practices have been in use 170 of 194 WHO member countries and play a vital role
since ancient times and are strongly in the health and wellbeing of people. Over 40 per cent
embedded in the culture and daily of pharmaceutical formulations are based on natural
lives. products and many contemporary drugs trace their
origins to traditional medicine.
From across the world and in In-
dia there are numerous examples of Traditional medicine is a part of the growing trillion-
traditional medicines being turned dollar global health, wellness, beauty, and pharmaceu-
into modern medicines with prod- tical industries due to its unique and holistic approach
ucts such as turmeric, neem and to health. Traditional medicine will also complement
jamun. Yet more work needs to be the modern system of medicine to prevent and control
done when it comes to identifying, non-communicable diseases and mental health.
developing, and testing these prod-
ucts and to integrate traditional The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has further im-
medicine into the mainstream pacted health systems across the world and all coun-
healthcare delivery system. tries need to mobilise all available resources including
traditional medicines to recover from the pandemic,
WHO’s new Global Centre for fill gaps in health coverage and accelerate progress
Traditional Medicine could be toward health goals of sustainable development goals.
a game-changer by focusing on
strengthening the evidence base for As Regional Director of the World Health Organ-

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 34 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

Traditionalmedicineandpracticesareinusein WHO South-East Asia Region has made com-
mendable strides in vaccinating people against
over170of194WHOmembercountries.Over Covid-19. All 10 countries in the WHO South-
East Asia Region have already achieved the
40percentofpharmaceuticalformulations milestone of vaccinating 40 per cent of their
populations with primary series of Covid-19
arebasedonnaturalproductsandmany vaccines. Three countries have achieved the tar-
get of 70 per cent coverage with primary series
contemporarydrugstracetheiroriginsto and we must accelerate our efforts to expand
coverage.
traditionalmedicine
Second, we must continue to enhance sur-
isation South-East Asia Region, veillance, strengthen laboratories and gather
what will be your three priorities public health intelligence to track the virus and
to advance progress in ending see how it is evolving and spreading to tailor
Covid-19? our responses and measures. Thirdly, we must
We can and must end the acute strengthen our clinical care for Covid-19 and
phase of the pandemic this year. resilient health care systems. Fourth, we must
Countries must step up vaccine continue research and development and ensure
coverage with a focus on at-risk equitable access to tools and supplies. Fifth,
groups including frontline medical we should ensure coordination as the response
workers, elders and those who are transitions from an emergency mode to long-
immunocompromised. term respiratory disease management.

WHO has asked countries to vac- Together, all of us must take steps to prevent
cinate 70 per cent of their popula- the virus from spreading further. This means
tions by the mid of this year. The proper wearing of masks, ensuring hand hy-
giene, keeping a safe distance and getting vac-
cinated when our turn comes.

Your advice to people on Covid-19?
We can and we must end the pandemic this year.
As countries scale up vaccine coverage, we must
all work together to reduce the risk, both to our-
selves and to others. We must get vaccinated
when our turn comes. We should follow all the
measures such as keeping a safe distance, wear-
ing a well-fitted mask, frequently cleaning our
hands, and covering our coughs and sneezes
while keeping indoor spaces well ventilated.

We are in the third year of the pandemic now
and understandably we are all exhausted and
want to get back to the life we had before the
pandemic. For this to happen, we must stay the
course, and follow these measures, to reduce the
amount of disease, suffering and death, and get
the world back to normal.

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 35 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

ESSAY

REDEFINING
HEALTHCARE

BWHealthcareWorldfelicitates40entrepreneursand
influencersundertheageof40whoaredisruptingthe
healthcareindustryusingtechnologytotransformcare
delivery,reducecosts, improve accessaswellaspromote

wellness ByTeamBWHealthcareWorld

INDIA’S healthcare sector is at Key Role
the cusp of a major transfor-
mation. Growing at a CAGR All along, the private healthcare sector played a significant
of more than 20 per cent since role in the fight against Covid providing crucial support by
2016, it has become one of the way of testing, isolation beds for treatment, medical staff
largest sectors of the Indian economy and equipment at government Covid facilities or home
in terms revenue and employment healthcare.
generation. Alongside, it has made
significant advancements in terms The pandemic not only exposed the challenges and gaps
of delivery of healthcare. Add to this in our health infrastructure, but in forcing us to address
its elaborate response to the Covid-19 these, it has underscored the importance of wellbeing and
pandemic, which threw out of gear the ushered in an era of digital and technological innovation
healthcare systems globally as well as and advancements in the sector.
in India, and the sector is set to grow
bigger in size and coverage and be- The first edition of the BW Healthcare World 40 Un-
come more efficient and modern as der 40 study — with “Digitisation in Healthcare” as its
we move forward. theme — seeks to identify and felicitate 40 healthcare en-
trepreneurs and influencers under the age of 40 who have
The National Digital Health Mis- redefined and excelled in their chosen domains through
sion launched in response to the pan- expertise, empathy, innovation and foresight.
demic seeks to create the framework
for an integrated national digital The study’s universe included frontline medical profes-
health ecosystem using technology sionals, leaders in healthcare tech and infrastructure,
and consisting of digital registries of experts in pharmaceutical and medical appliances (R&D),
health providers and health facilities, and professionals in nutrition and holistic health.
unique health IDs, consent frame-
work, health records, telemedicine, The Selection Process
etc. with the overarching aim of pro-
viding universal access to health fa- The exercise began by inviting applications from candi-
cilities. dates belonging to these four categories. They were then
subjected to an exhaustive selection process by a jury,
BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 36 which judged the candidates based on their elevator pitch,
achievements and contributions, mission and vision, and
implementation. After extensive discussions and delibera-

WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

Photograph by Bianco Blue

Thepandemicnotonlyexposedthechallengesandgapsinour
healthinfrastructure,butinforcingustoaddresstheseissues,ithas
underscoredtheimportanceofwellbeingandusheredinaneraof
digitalandtechnologicalinnovationandadvancementsinthesector

tions among the jury members, finally Founder & CEO, Healthians; Sunil Thakur, MD, Quadria
40winnerswereselected. Thesewin- Capital, Sudhir Mishra, Founder & Managing Partner,
ners were later felicitated at an award Trust Legal; Suzy Singh, Emotional Wellbeing & Mental
function. Health Coach & Author; Dr Sonia Malik, Director & HOD,
Nova Southend Fertility & IVF, Delhi NCR; Dr Arun Gup-
The eminent jury consisted of the ta, President, Delhi Medical Council; Durgesh Sharma,
Jury Chair, Dr A. Velumani, Creator, MD, CBC Corporation India; Dr Sharda Jain, Director,
Thyrocare; Sanjay Bhutani, MD, In- Lifecare Centre & Lifecare IVF & Secretary General, Delhi
dia&SAARC, Bausch&Lomb,India; Gynaecologist Forum; and Dr D.K. Gupta, Chairman &
Anirban Chakraborty, CEO & MD, MD. Felix Hospital.
TFCI; Dr Annurag Batra, Chairman
& Editor-in-Chief, BW Business- The jury also made its decisions based on how pas-
world & Founder, Exchange4media; sionate, accomplished, open-minded and successful the
Dr D.K.Das, Founder & Director, nominees were. Dedication and commitment were deeply
CureMyKnee.com; Deepak Sahni, focused upon. n

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 37 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

40 UNDER 40

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 38 ABHISHEK
SHAH, 38

Founder & CEO
Wellthy
Therapeutics

Health Tech &
Infrastructure

WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

‘Building Digital
Therapies’

Wellthy Therapeutics, a pioneer ognition. It’s a reflection of the hard work that we at
in digital therapeutics in Asia and Wellthy have been putting in to transform the current
Europe, focuses on better chronic standards of care and help impact the lives of millions
caremanagement. Founderand of patients around the world.
CEO Abhishek Shah talks of the
company’s goals and missions The future of each drug and insurance policy comes
with a software-as-a-medical device, complementing
it and we are super proud to be one of the Dtx leaders in
Europe and Asia and this recognition shows that we are
headed in the right direction.

WellthyTherapeuticsenablescompaniestodeliverand How is Wellthy Therapeutics transforming the lives of
scaleregulatorycomplianceinhealthsolutions.What’s patients?
the scale and outreach that it works towards? The Wellthy Therapeutics’ digital health platform is an
At Wellthy, we work with life science partners to build evidence-based, clinically validated platform shown
and scale regulatory compliant digital health solutions to motivate, engage and inspire positive behavioural
across rare diseases and complex chronic conditions. changes in patients that improve their quality of life
Our solution has been adopted by partners around the and extends the care continuum to go beyond the pill
globe and has shown impact on over 1,00,000 patients through educational content, behaviour recommenda-
in key therapeutic areas, as a companion to eight novel tions, medication intake and adherence support, etc.
drugs. It has generated hundreds of millions in annual Wellthy also gathers real-world data from its platform
revenue for our partners with over 30 papers published and generates insights for clinicians to assist them with
in reputed international journals. actionable patient insights enabling better care for the
patient.

What’s your roadmap for success in “Our focus is on building digital therapies in
your sector? immunology, oncology, cardiometabolic and

As the market gets ready with in- rare diseases with strong clinical evidence”
creased funding and a plethora of

digital health applications, we are

starting to see the commercialisation of digital thera- Wheredoyouseeyourfirminthenextcoupleofyears?

peutics taking shape. There will be a few who might To emerge as the market leader in Europe’s Digital Ther-

succeed here. apeutics Market for rare diseases and complex chronic

It is important that the end product is designed in conditions. Our focus is on building digital therapies

alignment with the end-user, i.e. the patient and the in immunology, oncology, cardiometabolic and rare

clinician, else it leads to a fall in daily active users over diseases with strong clinical and real world evidence.

time and furthermore, a failed commercialisation op- Digital therapeutics is an evolving industry, so our fo-

portunity which is certainly not in the best interest of cus is to keep in line with the latest technology advance-

either the partner or the DTx company. ments and regulatory requirements and continuously

enhance our platform for compliance, interoperability

How do you feel about getting clubbed into this league and user experience and be ready for partnerships with

of 40 Under40? US-based life science companies. n

I am humbled and privileged to have received this rec- — By Upasana

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 39 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

Q&A

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 40 DR AMRIT
SINGH
AHLUWALIA,
33

AGM
HCL Healthcare

Dentistry

WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

“Tailor-Made
Smiles”

DrAmritSinghAhluwalia, reputed were the challenges and opportunities?

to be the best dental surgeon in I would like to quote here the well-known adage, ‘When
the going gets tough, the tough get going’.

Noidacurrently, practisesatHCL It very well describes the last two years for us. With
Covid knocking on our doors and our model being on-
Healthcare. Hetalksof theuseof
AI in dentistry site preventive healthcare clinics, it was a big setback.
But with our leadership realising the need of the hour,
being a shift from on-site to virtual clinic, we were able to

make the switch almost seamlessly. From thereon, with

each Covid wave creating ripples, we kept afloat with our

hybrid model (in-clinic and virtual), not only enabling

us to serve our existing client-base, but also to expand

Howdoesitfeeltobeapartof thisprestigiousleagueof our reach further, increasing the confidence of our cli-

BWHealthcare’s 40under40? ents in our offerings and our reliability. I believe that we

It feels special and makes me grateful to all those who started with improvising according to the situation and

have been a part of this journey. Such recognitions mo- with each passing month we evolved to become a ‘VUCA’

tivate me to do a little something extra and stretch my ready and a much more robust Healthcare unit.

limits further to do something better for society.

It is my vision to create a self-sustaining and reliable What’s your roadmap for success?

dental chain that aims to maintain long term oral hy- In the dental business the roadmap to predictable and

giene for millions of Indians. Platforms like BW Health- outcome-based dentistry involves combining the tools

care act like a catalyst. It not only appreciates the entre- of artificial intelligence and conventional dentistry to

preneurial journey of many startups but also acts as a achieve highly successful treatment and maintenance

medium for interaction with various minds

with similar goals but different ideas which “For creating cosmetic miracles, we
help in scaling up the distance faster. combine the art of digital smile design

WhatisHCLHealthcare’sbusinessmodel? with modern restorative processes to
AtHCLHealthcareweaimtocreatehealthier carve out customised smiles”
workplaces by not just treating problems, but

alsobypredictingandpreventingillnesseswell

on time, with a perfect mix of medicine and technology. We plans. As dental treatment is a high skill job and requires

are one of the best corporate healthcare solution providers long-term follow - ups and maintenance visits, we follow

intheindustrywithofferingslikehealthchecks,careplans, the principle of ‘prevention of extension’, limiting maxi-

dental, personal health coach, Covid helplines, vaccination mum oral problems at their budding stage itself, to im-

drives, on-site clinics and many more. prove future prognosis. For creating cosmetic miracles,

We cover our clients from head to toe to keep them fit we combine the art of digital smile design with modern

and healthy. Being an employee centric organisation with restorative processes to carve out customised or ‘tailor-

the ‘Great Place to Work’ certification, not only are we made’ smiles. To ensure that there is no compromise

creating an impact externally, but creating an impact on with quality, we have a rigorous follow up and feedback

our employees as well. mechanism, assuring the best treatment at any of our

clinics. n

How were the last two years for your business? What — By Sneha Patro

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 41 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

Q&A

DR ANCHAL
GUPTA, 38

Ophthalmologist &

Founder,

Netram Eye
Foundation

Medical Professional

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 42 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

“We Cater to All
Segments Equally”

Dr Anchal Gupta not only runs a How were the last two years for your business? What
state-of-the-art eye centre in South were the challenges and opportunities?
Our generation has seen the worst pandemic and it

Delhi, she also works on preventive caught us all unawares. We were perplexed and totally
clueless about the length and breadth of the upcom-

opthalmology across eight states. ing calamity. But as the saying goes, always save for a
Excerpts of an interview : rainy day. My day one response to the lockdown was
calculating finances for survival on zero input for six

months, retaining all employees being my first prior-

ity. We started our drive ‘Chashma Bus’, a door-to-

door cataract and free spectacle programme, which

What are the specialised services that Netram Eye became a major hit and also a CSR funded project. All

Foundation offers? in all we did turn calamity into an opportunity.

Netram Eye Foundation is a state-of-the-art ophthal-

mology centre that is unique for being able to cater What is your mantra for success?

to all segments of society equally. We run separate “Success is not a result of spontaneous combustion.

charity and private wings and all patients are treated You must set yourself on fire,” said Arnold Glasgow. I’m

equally. The charity patients get longer time. Netram a person of constant planning and goals. The moment

Eye Foundation draws patients from across the coun- we set out to reach a landmark, the next landmark is

try. It is also a registered society, working closely with ready. Razor sharp focus and time management are

the government, PSUs and corporates, executing vari- my best skills. Work-life balance is my mantra. As they

ous social causes like school eye screenings, preven- say, success is not permanent and failure is not final. I

tive health check camps for underserved

sections and transgenders. “We run separate charity and private
It also works on mental health and wings and all patients are treated equally.

women upliftment and has many popu-

lar flagship projects under its umbrella. The charity patients get longer time. Ne-
Mobile outreach is our biggest forte and tram Eye Foundation draws patients from
we constantly aim to reach the last man across the country”
in society in the most efficient way.

How does it feel to be a part of this league of BW am a constant work in progress.
Healthcare’s 40 Under 40?
As people of fire, we always look for fuel for our spirit. What advice would you give aspiring entrepreneurs?
Being a part of the prestigious league of 40 under 40, is Begin with the end in your mind. Know where and
one such landmark event in my life. It ignites the spirit what you are heading for. Over target your finances,
to propel me further. It reassures us that yes, we are but always underestimate yourself. Be old school in
heading in the right direction. It reinstates the fact, your principles, but latest in your skills. As a leader
that, yes, we are cut out to be ahead of the lot. in your organisation, make every employee a leader
in their might. If the last man in your organisation
As medicos, while we spend nearly 12 years at our is in sync with your vision and mission, no force can
best pace to become super specialised, becoming an stop you. n
achiever at 40, is gratifying – taxing and yet, over-
whelming. — By Upasana

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 43 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

40 UNDER 40

ARCHIT
GARG, 37,

Co-Founder,

Glamyo Health

Healthcare tech &
infrastructure

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 44 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

TECH-BASED
HEALTHCARE
PROVIDER
hospitals and doctors, stand in long hospital queues,
Glamyo Health offers patients an handle the stressful paperwork, or undergo expensive
and painful conventional surgeries,” Garg goes on to
say.

affordable and innovative service Three lakh visitors
through a platform that automates
Garg has been able to scale the company to more than

three lakh visitors, on an overall team strength of

many parts of their InPatient more than 150 professionals. He lists six attributes
Department Care (IPD) journey that make Glamyo Health stand apart from competi-
tors like Pristyn Care, Practo and HexaHealth that

A RCHIT GARG has the distinction of being also do business in the same space. Glamyo Health
the youngest student to have gained admis- feels that it has an edge in the business because of the
sion to Oxford University at the age of 22 following advantages:
years. That was perhaps, the beginning of
the journey that finds him at the helm of l Elective Surgeries, Cosmetic Surgeries
l Hassle-Free Insurance Clearance,
l Experienced and Qualified Surgeons,
l Advanced Equipment,

Glamyo Health a decade- and- a half later. l 24/7 Medical Assistance, and

Along the way he has closed more than $100 l Free Home Pick and Drop Service

million of investments through private equity deals in “We are better than our competitors as we are a full

healthcare, education and technology. stack player and we control the patient experience

end-to-end,” says Garg. “Also, our medical coordina-

50,000 + surgical enquiries tors handhold the patients in their end-to-end jour-

For Glamyo Health, which is a platform that utilises ney which includes home pick and drop, choosing the

technology to automate a patient’s Inpatient best doctor, best hospital, and insurance and hassle

Department Care (IPD) journey, Garg was able to free admission and discharge, prompt in responses,

swiftly close investments to the tune of $6 million. faster in query redressal,” he says. The Glamyo Health

The company’s team of more than 50 medical coordi- Co-founder emphasises that the company has “a

nators hand-hold patients through the process of young and new team of employees constantly striving

gaining admission to a healthcare “I am currently to provide the best class healthcare

centre or hospital, diagnosis, treat- services and assistance.”

ment and post-surgery care. operating in the “I strongly believe I deserve to be
“In the last one year we have health tech space on the BW Healthcare World 40
under 40 lists,” says Archit Garg
received 50,000 plus surgical

enquiries which our medical team creating India’s confidently. “My startup is one of a
has supported and handheld. We largest asset light kind, medical technology-based
offer advanced, affordable, and healthcare provider, driven by

effective minimally invasive surger- chain of hospitals empathy to help others.” He points
ies through our team of expert sur- utilising their free out that by being affordable, inno-
geons and hospitals in the most capacity. The vative and easily accessible the
hassle-free way possible,” says Garg, company shows “great futuristic

who has co-founded Glamyo Health business has now foresight to make Digital India a
with Dr Preet Pal Thakur. “Patients scaled to 15 cities” healthy India.”
no longer have to search for suitable
— Team BW

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 45 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

Q&A

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 46 DR ARJUN
DANG, 32

CEO & Partner
Dr Dangs Lab

Healthcare Tech
& Infrastructure

WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

“High Doctor to
Patient Ratio”

Dr Dangs Lab offers quality, either free or heavily discounted diagnostics.
technology, trained professionals While I am not keen to list all, a few are Udayan, an

andinnovation. DrArjunDang orphanage that selects street children, gives them all
says that he ensures that every
amenities and trains them in various skills. Then there
sample at the laboratory gets the is Dribble Academy. This academy is known for en-
best attention. Excerpts of a chat: rolling underprivileged children from rural areas and

training them in the sport of basketball to later rep-
resent India and also apply for global academies. Our
CSR activities also spill on to Gurdwaras, Arya Samaj

Institutions and the Earth Saviours Foundation, a non-

Dr Dangs Lab has been providing pathological profit NGO for the elderly and disabled persons.

services for almost four decades. How does it provide

specialised treatment to every patient? Howdoesitfeelto beapartof thisprestigiousleague

Dr Dangs Lab is known for its ability to provide un- of BW Healthcare World’s 40 under 40?

matched quality services, along with a highly person- It is hard to put this feeling of gratitude into words. It is

alised experience, be it for the patient or for its clients. indeed a huge honour for me to be a part of this presti-

Providing both simultaneously is often a tough ask. gious league of 40 under 40. I would like to dedicate this

I believe that the ethos, compassion and dedication award to my parents and wife, as whatever I am today,

of Dr Dangs Lab’s staff towards patients are the key I owe to them. My parents left no stones unturned to

reasons why Dr Dangs Lab has reached the pinnacle of provide me with the best in life and also nurtured in

quality stand-alone labs in India. In addition, Dr Dangs me from a very young age, the art of caring and the very

Lab is the only pathology lab in India with an extremely essence of well-being.

high doctor-to-patient ratio. What would you advice budding entrepreneurs?

I think entrepreneurship is an exciting journey. In its

How are you redefining diagnostics? highs it can be exhilarating. However the age-old ad-

While Dr Dangs Lab has worked with its central

theme of quality and personalised services, I have “The lab today also offers custom-
offered this exceptional combination to other seg-
mentsofwork,suchasclinicaltrialsandresearch, ised, high-quality central laboratory
whilst never losing sight of the needs of patients.
The lab today also offers customised, high- services to pharmaceutical and bio-
tech clinical development”
quality central laboratory services to pharmaceu-

tical and biotech clinical development through

scientific guidance, efficient project management, age of not taking success or failure too seriously has

state-of-the-art technologies, competent leadership always helped me and I personally use each of these as

and regulatory know-how. Dr Dangs Lab has been the learning tools and stepping stones, paving the path for

lab partner for phase 1, 2 and 3 trial lab testing both for a stronger future.

Covaxin as well as Corbevax. Needless to say that you need to be well prepared for

the setbacks that come from the failures and mistakes

What areyourCSRinitiatives? and my advice for those moments will be to not sink into

Dr Dangs Lab has always believed in giving back to soci- the moment but continue to focus on the long-term goal,

ety and works for several causes for the underprivileged, moving ahead despite all odds . n

mainly to contribute towards better health through By Upasana

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 47 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

40 UNDER 40

ARYAN
GOYAL, 38

Founder & CEO

Nureca

Healthcare Tech &
Infrastructure

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 48 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

ONE-STOP
SOLUTION FOR
HEALTHCARE
Purdue University in the United States. Talking to BW
Healthcare World, Goyal says the company’s strategy
was to “focus on innovating and bringing products of

global quality standards to the Indian market”.

The Dr Trust India platform strives He goes on to say that it was the company’s
“vision to develop the Dr Trust platform as the most

to be a one-stop solution for integrated digital ecosystem to monitor, track and
healthcare, wellness and stress support users in achieving their health outcomes in
a holistic manner.” Goyal divulges that the com-

management. The company is also pany was building offline distribution too and roll-
ing out its products pan - India.
rolling out its products offline
Coping with Covid

D R TRUST, INDIA’S Chief Executive Officer Referring to the business environment of the past
Aryan Goyal’s mission is to enable his cus- two years, he says, “We saw extremely high demand
tomers to monitor chronic and acute ail- for our products during Covid, leading to produc-
ments in real time from the convenience tion and supply chain issues. We responded well
of their homes. Today, Dr Trust’s flagship and made sure that our products were in-stock and
we were able to deliver products on time to our cus-
tomers. The company went public in 2021 so we

brands offer over 140 SKUs (stock keeping were able to raise capital and grow the business.”

units) in different categories through

online channel partners. At present, the company One-stop solution

holds over 100 design patents. “Our Dr Trust Platform will be the one-stop solution

for all healthcare and wellness. Our platform will

Affordable healthcare provide complete solutions in preventive healthcare,

“We ship our products direct to cus- pre-diagnostics, disease man-

tomers, who place orders on our “Our vision is to agement, obesity management
platform, Dr Trust.in and third party develop the Dr Trust via nutrition and wellness and
platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, stress management,” says Goyal.

Tata 1Mg, PharmEasy,” explains platform as the most He goes on to say that the com-
Goyal. integrated digital pany’s “aim is to provide a com-
ecosystem to moni- plete ecosystem where we
He says he wants to go the extra impact millions of customers
mile to alleviate human suffering by

enabling top quality, affordable tor, track and sup- leading to the longevity of life.”
healthcare solutions. Dr Trust’s port users in achiev- Goyal predicts that the “Dr Trust
products are, he says, crafted on a ing their health brand will be omnipresent,” as
foundation of innovation, entrepre- he reveals the company’s road-

neurship and sustainability, for a outcomes in a holis- map for the future.
better tomorrow. tic manner. We are Goyal is happy to be have been
building offline
Focus on innovation elevated to BW Healthcare
World’s 40 Under 40 list. “I am

Aryan Goyal’s foray into healthcare distribution and roll- deeply pleased and honoured to
and life sciences began in 2005, right ing out our products receive this prestigious award,”
after he completed his Bachelor’s pan - India” he says simply.
degree in Chemical Engineering from
— By Upasana

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 49 WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM

40 UNDER 40

BW HEALTHCAREWORLD AUGUST 2022 50 ASHISH K.
JAIN, 40,

Director,
Saksham
Innovations
(Medgini)

Pharma Marketing

WWW.BWHEALTHCAREWORLD.COM