India

Prathap C Reddy, founder and chairman of Apollo Hospital Group, believes that India can become a global healthcare service provider. In an interview with TOI’s Anuja Jaiswal, Reddy spoke about India’s healthcare transformation, preventive care, AI, pricing, and Apollo’s expansion. Excerpts:Recent health data show a deterioration in several health indicators among Indians. Is this primarily a lifestyle issue?The basic problem is that people do not consider health a priority. They think about it only when they fall sick: where to go, what treatment they need and what it will cost. We need to realise that health should be our priority. My vision is health and happiness at home, HHH, and that can happen only when individuals take responsibility for their health.Has the growth in private healthcare been due to a poor public healthcare system?The govt has done tremendous work and has several programmes. But India is a large country, and geography remains a challenge, particularly in remote areas. Private hospitals have done a remarkable job. When I came back from the US, there was very little advanced healthcare available in India. Today, there are hundreds of good hospitals providing advanced treatment, and patients from across the world come to India. We have the best-in-class equipment and the best doctors and paramedics. Public and private healthcare need to complement each other. India is ready to become a global healthcare destination because it can provide advanced treatment at a fraction of the cost in many other countries. The world will need about 9 million doctors, nurses, paramedics and other healthcare workers by the end of this decade. India has a large young population and can help meet this global requirement.How do you standardise treatment given that you have large chains and small nursing homes and also keep it affordable? Protocols have to be strict so that patients face the least possible risk and get good outcomes. Tertiary-care hospitals are increasingly following standardised protocols, while medical education is also changing. The challenge is to ensure that these improvements reach the entire country.Will AI make doctors better, or can it reduce the human touch in healthcare?AI is a powerful tool for doctors. It can improve the speed and precision of diagnosis and help doctors access a much larger amount of information, but it cannot replace the doctor. AI should give doctors more information and more time to interact with patients and provide better care.Parliamentary committee has suggested linking private hospital room tariffs with those of three-star hotels. What is your view?That comparison is incorrect. Hospitals are fundamentally different from hotels. Hospitals have to maintain patient safety standards, infection-control measures and medical infrastructure that hotels do not require. Hotels provide accommodation for a night, while hospitals are there to save lives. The costs involved in maintaining medical infrastructure, equipment and trained personnel cannot be compared with those of a hotel room. Whatever surplus we earn we are investing in expanding our network.You are across the healthcare value chain from diagnostics to hospitals and insurance. What is the way forward?We are unique in that sense. We plan to add 10 more hospitals in the next five years, with three already in the pipeline. We are expanding our presence in Delhi-NCR with a new hospital in Dwarka, where the land is already in place, and a 900-bed state-of-the-art hospital in Gurgaon, which is expected to open around Oct.Will Apollo remain family-run or move towards professional management?It will be a combination of family and professional management. My daughters have been involved in the organisation and have different roles, while a strong professional management team is responsible for implementation. But as far as the family’s ownership is concerned, I want Apollo to eventually be run through a trust. The idea is to ensure continuity of the institution beyond individual family members.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosModi Govt’s Gen-Z Outreach: One Union Minister To Visit One University Daily‘Fuel For Free’: Chandigarh’s ‘Petrol Langar’ Turns Chaotic, Leaves People Fuming‘No Respect For Court’: Arrest Warrant Against Mahua Moitra In Hate Speech CaseUS Envoy Calls J&K ‘Important Part Of India’ During 1st Kashmir Visit After Article 370 AbrogationPatna Erupts As Tejashwi Yadav Detained During RJD March Over Siwan AK-47 And Paper Leak RowPakistan’s 2 AM Panic Over Operation Sindoor Documentary: Pak Army Calls It ‘Tragedy & Comedy’Kolkata Hotel Fire Kills 9, Six Injured; 80 Rescued As Safety Norms Face Serious QuestionsSupreme Court To Form Panel On July 20 Clash, Examine Police Force And Alleged Pellet Gun UseManipur Shuts Down For 48 Hours As NRC Demand Intensifies Ahead Of 2027 Census DeadlineAAP Leader Satyendar Jain Arrested In Delhi Jal Board ‘Corruption’ Case; Kejriwal Hits Out At BJP123PhotostoriesIf you think Marcello Muratori from ‘Emily in Paris’ is fictional, meet the real Italian luxury dynasty that inspired his characterBigg Boss 20: From Mary Kom and Mouni Roy to Rajat Bedi, Rumoured contestants of Salman Khan-hosted show5 tips to improve your communication skills10 baby girl names that feel effortlessly elegant and modern5 easy-to-do beauty secrets that make you look effortlessly expensiveOptical illusion personality test: What you see first reveals whether you’re judgmental or too hard on yourselfBigg Boss Malayalam 8: Celebrities who can shine in the showStop saying sorry for choosing yourself: 7 things every woman should never feel guilty about, according to Ankur WarikooWhy do Indian brides wear black beads on their mangalsutra? The tradition, belief, and symbolism explainedFrom Orry to Rubina Dilaik, Gaurav Khanna and others: Net worth of popular Khatron Ke Khiladi 15 contestants123Hot PicksIndia Oil ExportsBank holidays this weekAzam KhanCSBC resultJharkhand ProtestJSSC-CGL exam cancelledGold rate todayZepto internshipTN maternity leaveTop TrendingKiren RijijuBengaluru MurderRahul GandhiBhopal MurderKerala MurderKiren RijijuAbhijeet DipkeSatyaki SavarkarBengaluru RapidoBen Gvir

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$Prathap C Reddy, founder and chairman of Apollo Hospital Group, believes that India can become a global healthcare service provider. In an interview with TOI’s Anuja Jaiswal, Reddy spoke about India’s healthcare transformation, preventive care, AI, pricing, and Apollo’s expansion. Excerpts:Recent health data show a deterioration in several health indicators among Indians. Is this primarily a lifestyle issue?The basic problem is that people do not consider health a priority. They think about it only when they fall sick: where to go, what treatment they need and what it will cost. We need to realise that health should be our priority. My vision is health and happiness at home, HHH, and that can happen only when individuals take responsibility for their health.Has the growth in private healthcare been due to a poor public healthcare system?The govt has done tremendous work and has several programmes. But India is a large country, and geography remains a challenge, particularly in remote areas. Private hospitals have done a remarkable job. When I came back from the US, there was very little advanced healthcare available in India. Today, there are hundreds of good hospitals providing advanced treatment, and patients from across the world come to India. We have the best-in-class equipment and the best doctors and paramedics. Public and private healthcare need to complement each other. India is ready to become a global healthcare destination because it can provide advanced treatment at a fraction of the cost in many other countries. The world will need about 9 million doctors, nurses, paramedics and other healthcare workers by the end of this decade. India has a large young population and can help meet this global requirement.How do you standardise treatment given that you have large chains and small nursing homes and also keep it affordable? Protocols have to be strict so that patients face the least possible risk and get good outcomes. Tertiary-care hospitals are increasingly following standardised protocols, while medical education is also changing. The challenge is to ensure that these improvements reach the entire country.Will AI make doctors better, or can it reduce the human touch in healthcare?AI is a powerful tool for doctors. It can improve the speed and precision of diagnosis and help doctors access a much larger amount of information, but it cannot replace the doctor. AI should give doctors more information and more time to interact with patients and provide better care.Parliamentary committee has suggested linking private hospital room tariffs with those of three-star hotels. What is your view?That comparison is incorrect. Hospitals are fundamentally different from hotels. Hospitals have to maintain patient safety standards, infection-control measures and medical infrastructure that hotels do not require. Hotels provide accommodation for a night, while hospitals are there to save lives. The costs involved in maintaining medical infrastructure, equipment and trained personnel cannot be compared with those of a hotel room. Whatever surplus we earn we are investing in expanding our network.You are across the healthcare value chain from diagnostics to hospitals and insurance. What is the way forward?We are unique in that sense. We plan to add 10 more hospitals in the next five years, with three already in the pipeline. We are expanding our presence in Delhi-NCR with a new hospital in Dwarka, where the land is already in place, and a 900-bed state-of-the-art hospital in Gurgaon, which is expected to open around Oct.Will Apollo remain family-run or move towards professional management?It will be a combination of family and professional management. My daughters have been involved in the organisation and have different roles, while a strong professional management team is responsible for implementation. But as far as the family’s ownership is concerned, I want Apollo to eventually be run through a trust. The idea is to ensure continuity of the institution beyond individual family members.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosModi Govt’s Gen-Z Outreach: One Union Minister To Visit One University Daily‘Fuel For Free’: Chandigarh’s ‘Petrol Langar’ Turns Chaotic, Leaves People Fuming‘No Respect For Court’: Arrest Warrant Against Mahua Moitra In Hate Speech CaseUS Envoy Calls J&K ‘Important Part Of India’ During 1st Kashmir Visit After Article 370 AbrogationPatna Erupts As Tejashwi Yadav Detained During RJD March Over Siwan AK-47 And Paper Leak RowPakistan’s 2 AM Panic Over Operation Sindoor Documentary: Pak Army Calls It ‘Tragedy & Comedy’Kolkata Hotel Fire Kills 9, Six Injured; 80 Rescued As Safety Norms Face Serious QuestionsSupreme Court To Form Panel On July 20 Clash, Examine Police Force And Alleged Pellet Gun UseManipur Shuts Down For 48 Hours As NRC Demand Intensifies Ahead Of 2027 Census DeadlineAAP Leader Satyendar Jain Arrested In Delhi Jal Board ‘Corruption’ Case; Kejriwal Hits Out At BJP123PhotostoriesIf you think Marcello Muratori from ‘Emily in Paris’ is fictional, meet the real Italian luxury dynasty that inspired his characterBigg Boss 20: From Mary Kom and Mouni Roy to Rajat Bedi, Rumoured contestants of Salman Khan-hosted show5 tips to improve your communication skills10 baby girl names that feel effortlessly elegant and modern5 easy-to-do beauty secrets that make you look effortlessly expensiveOptical illusion personality test: What you see first reveals whether you’re judgmental or too hard on yourselfBigg Boss Malayalam 8: Celebrities who can shine in the showStop saying sorry for choosing yourself: 7 things every woman should never feel guilty about, according to Ankur WarikooWhy do Indian brides wear black beads on their mangalsutra? The tradition, belief, and symbolism explainedFrom Orry to Rubina Dilaik, Gaurav Khanna and others: Net worth of popular Khatron Ke Khiladi 15 contestants123Hot PicksIndia Oil ExportsBank holidays this weekAzam KhanCSBC resultJharkhand ProtestJSSC-CGL exam cancelledGold rate todayZepto internshipTN maternity leaveTop TrendingKiren RijijuBengaluru MurderRahul GandhiBhopal MurderKerala MurderKiren RijijuAbhijeet DipkeSatyaki SavarkarBengaluru RapidoBen Gvir$

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