Having a journey that started as a salaried doctor to a self-employed surgeon to a businessman thriving to manage hospitals to an entrepreneur who’s excited to invest time and money into anything and everything that promises innovation and its fruitful application, it is quite an interesting ride till now.
Tell us about your upbringing, background and journey?
I come from a city called Bhiwani in Haryana. Being a doctor’s son, I had my upbringing in close vicinity to the medical field which inspired me to pursue this profession at an early age and stage of life.
I was quite a meritorious student in my school days but coming from a small city had its own demerits which I realised later on when I moved to my PMT days and could find out that I had my own cocoon around me which gave me comfort but kept me away from the real competition of Pre-medical entrance examination. I found my own ways with hard work, cracked the entrance & entered into this field.
Once I finished my MBBS, I again realised that it’s just an entry into the profession that I have done and extra efforts are required to become a specialist. I always had Orthopaedics as my calling and I was lucky in making this dream come true.
But that wasn’t quite the end of my story of being a professional since I got bitten by the bug of Medical Entrepreneurship. I entered into the field of medical education along with some big names and started my own ventures/hospitals where I was right from the receptionist to the treating surgeon in the initial days.
I held on to it & found out that my DNA has a gene that codes for managing multiple things at one time. Hard work was my obsession but multitasking was my compulsion and passion at the same time.
Having a journey that started as a salaried doctor to a self-employed surgeon to a businessman thriving to manage hospitals to an entrepreneur who’s excited to invest time and money into anything and everything that promises innovation and its fruitful application, it is quite an interesting ride till now.
We salute your work during the pandemic, where did you get the inspiration to work so hard?
Thank you so much for your appreciation. Though I am an orthopaedic surgeon but seeing so much morbidity and mortality around me in the second wave, I decided to make a task force with some of my doctor friends and non-medicos as well.
We went aggressive in distributing free medicines and arranging for hospital beds. Now when I remember those days retrospectively, I get goosebumps with those memories of losing people on an hourly basis. Anyways humanity persists and we all vow to serve as and when needed.
How do you expect digital health to grow over the next 5 years?
It’s the future and I see the best health services going to the remotest places. Be it teleconsultation or video consultation, we have the acceptance of a doctor sitting in a metro city treating patients hundreds of kilometres away. Various aggregators are doing amazing in digital health and bringing about the reforms which are now pertinent for the evolution of health care.
What are your concerns about Digital Health?
My only concern is that it shouldn’t go ahead unsupervised. Changes are always welcome but before they are out for the public, thorough quality control is a must. Digital health care should be synergistic to the existing set-up.
Can you let us know any one application of Digital Health in your country which has impressed you?
I am very much impressed with many of them but one of them that grabs my eye is Tata 1 MG. They are doing amazing in the democratisation of medicine and laboratory test supply chain. Kudos and more power to the team.
What is your message for aspiring doctors and the young generation? Which is the best medical college according to you?
I wish to convey to all those young doctors who are reading this that don’t fall for mediocrity. Try and be receptive to things out of the medical field. Entrepreneurship is the only way out for going ahead now. Be it medical tourism or setting up a chain of polyclinics, my dream is that it should be owned and operated by doctors.
What does your typical day look like and what do you like to do besides work?
Honestly, it starts with the planning that I do while sleeping the previous night. Planning is my core competence. I start with replies to emails/messages and then the allocation of time to individual chores of the day. I try to maintain the coherence between personal and professional lives as well.
A game of squash or nice music brings extra flavour to my day often.
Besides work, I do a lot of micro-investing in all new ideas being brought up by the so-called Generation Z or the millennials of today. I think youth is the true asset of any country. I wish to see my country shining higher and the youth holding the guiding light.
Interviewed by - Yashika Khanna
Social