It’s possible for private hospitals to offer quality services without being exploitative: H N Reliance Foundation Hospital CEO

Tarang Gianchandani

H N Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre is a technologically advanced institution in Mumbai, which has made a name for itself in the field of medicinal sciences and patient care. In an interaction with Moneycontrol, its Chief Executive Officer (Dr) Tarang Gianchandani talks on the way forward for the hospital. Edited excerpts:

What sets the hospital apart from others in the category?

Service for the well-being of the people, rather than profits, that is most important in healthcare. And as an organization, we get complete support from the Reliance Foundation in every sense to make a difference in the lives of the people and to ensure their well-being. And there has never been a constraint put on me as CEO of the organisation to work towards profit. Having said that, you don't fulfil your role if you are not looking at sustainability of the organisation, and as a person, it's my belief that in healthcare if you focus on services, clinical outcomes, and the well-being of the population that you're serving, your reward follows. These may come as intangible or tangible rewards, at least you are able to meet your costs, and healthcare should never be done for profit, which I think is something that we don't see commonly as a practice.

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Do you think it is possible for private hospitals to offer quality services without being exploitative?

I do agree with whoever says that, yes, for good quality healthcare, you have to pay a price. It's never free. I firmly believe that there is definitely nothing free in healthcare. But while quality healthcare may not be cheap, it can definitely be offered at moderate rates. For instance, people in the hospital industry have this belief that by making the patient stay longer in the hospital, they can make more money but as a hospital you do well if your patients go home sooner than later, because you serve more people than less people. And when you serve more people, by economies of scale, by your turnover, you do well, even financially as a hospital without compromising on the quality of care.

Do you have any expansion plans?

2023 onwards healthcare will definitely see a paradigm shift, which we are trying to build upon as part of Reliance Foundation Healthcare Initiatives, whereby we will not only expand our focus in healthcare, with focus on bringing in cutting-edge treatments through our hospitals, which we call ‘hospitals of the future’, but we will also expand or extend into the world of preventive mental health and well-being, especially focusing on women and child health.

Can you please help us understand what may have changed for private sector healthcare providers after COVID-19 in general, and particularly for your hospital? What has been the greatest lesson? What changes have you incorporated after COVID-19?

Post-COVID, I think, one thing which we all have learned is that anything is possible, and never feel that you are prepared for the unknown. Also, there has been a push towards infectious diseases, which, I think, has not been a focus for hospitals as well as for the general healthcare system across the globe for a very long time. During the crisis, our hospital as well as others had to resort to out-of-the-box ideas and mechanisms, which came as a huge, giant force. So, I think these are some of the takeaways for us at our organisation.

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