'Good Bridge players make good managers' -Mukesh Shivdasani

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'Good Bridge players make good managers' -Mukesh Shivdasani

Mukesh Shivdasani the CEO of Max Healthcare can also be called Mr. Consistent. Here, he talks about his career, Max healthcare, his passion for Bridge and more��

CJ: merinews network

Fri, Feb 29, 2008 15:28:44 IST

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Healthcare Industry :

Q. What makes Max Healthcare different from other known hospitals?

Our USP is our focus on Total Patient Care - which involves empathetic listening, offering choices and responding to the patients’ medical and other needs in a holistic way. Total Patient Care aims at managing the patients’ disease as well as caring about their physical, mental and emotional self.

Max Hospitals is also one of the first to cover the NCR region with our hospitals in Gurgaon and Noida.

We continuously demonstrate best-in-class practicing that satisfies the needs of the patient and those that support the patient. For us, the patient as well as other stakeholders, which include the family, and referring doctors or Corporates or TPA’s are a key customer in the delivery of care.

Q. Please explain International Patient Services? How it helps the people of our country? Has Max ever received cases under this?

Max Healthcare aims at building on the strong base in India to become a truly global healthcare provider. Through our International Patient Services program we compete in global markets to deliver highest quality healthcare to patients worldwide regardless of their economic circumstance. Under the program, medical queries along with scans are received from patients or facilitators through email. Queries are then forwarded to the respective doctors at Max Healthcare after which the diagnosis and proposed treatment is sent back to the patient. A conference call is arranged between the patient and the doctor - if the patient is satisfied, he/ she confirm the date for the procedure.

At present, under this program we have patients from the SAARC nations, Middle East and from the West. Our aim is to grow the program to service patients from multiple cultures and diversities.

The International Patient Service program also helps service providers such as Max Healthcare to network with professionals across the globe, which enables us to share best practices in medical care. The final beneficiary of this is the patient.

Q The popular public perception is that, for a middle class family, Max Hospital is a very expensive hospital to afford, and is therefore only for people who can afford such a luxury. How far is this perception true? Does Max have different policies for different categories of people?

I am not sure whether such perception exists within the public. The fact is that the Max Healthcare network covers eight locations, as of date, spread over NCR.

The total number of patients that have availed our services is in excess of 500,000 and they represent the entire chain of the economic spectrum. Over the past two years, we have seen significant addition from middle class families in all our hospitals.

Max Healthcare does not have different policies for different categories of people. Every patient receives the same level of Medical Care. Some differentiation in non-medical services may exist for those in private rooms.

Q What made you join the healthcare industry?

My joining the healthcare industry was in some ways, shaped by recent events at that time. I was relocating from Hong Kong where I worked with Bank of America to be with the family in Delhi when I was offered an interesting assignment with Max India. Shortly thereafter I got an opportunity to lead Healthcare operations and it was exciting to achieve the mission of building world-class service standards, having witnessed it first hand during my tenure abroad.

I truly believed that Hospitals in India needed to improve on its delivery of care and Max Healthcare was the right vehicle to do so. Thankfully time has proved that I made the right choice.

Better management of the healthcare sector is an approach to increase health standards and Max is a pioneer in introducing new state-of-the-art technology for patient benefit and comfort.

Q. Tell me something about your qualification.

I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and am an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata. Over the many years I have been involved in both Manufacturing and Service Industry, I have realised that the fundamental value of education lies partly in the knowledge acquired but mainly in one’s ability to learn.

The world class Institutions where I have had the good fortune to receive my education have made it easy for me to do so. The Healthcare industry clearly needed, and now even more so, professionals from other domains. If ultimately the objective of the industry is to deliver continuously higher value than experts from various fields must join hands with medical professionals.

Q. How often do you take a break from your busy schedule?

I take breaks as needed.

Q. How do you spend your leisure time?

I am voracious reader and also play competitive bridge. Besides, my two pets at home are excellent play mates.

Q. Tell us something about your family, your wife and children?

I guess you can call me Mr. Consistent – one wife, one child. My wife is a homemaker who has taken complete responsibility for managing the household. She also teaches in her spare time. My daughter is an HR professional who, I think, has made more of a mark than I did when I was her age.

Q. I have heard you have a love for the game of ‘Bridge’ and you are an expert. Do you feel there are any similarities between bridge and management?

I can’t say I am an expert but I have been playing bridge since my IIT days and am passionate about it. Actually Bridge is much more than a game … it is a clear mirror of one’s owns self.

There are many similarities between Bridge and Management and it is my fond belief that good Bridge players make good Managers. Bridge requires one to make rapid decisions under pressure, calls for sharp focus, the ability to stay aligned with your partner and team mates, and above all a “winning” philosophy… These qualities go a very long way in the real world.

Q. What is your personal stress-buster?

Stress… what is that?

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