Kovai Medical Center and Hospital: Pioneer in Delivering Qualitative and Advanced Healthcare Facilities

There are many healthcare providers in the nation that offer wide range of medical services but only few meet the expectation that patients generally have. Kovai Medical Center and Hospital (KMCH) is one such trusted name in the healthcare sector that has gained prominence with its qualitative and affordable healthcare facilities. KMCH is one of the most reliable multispecialty hospitals in the southern Indian city of Coimbatore. Relentless service of KMCH in the last 26 years has taken health care to the most modern levels in the region catering to urban and rural population.
In an interview with Insights Success, Dr. Nalla G Palaniswami, Chairman, KMCH gave some insightful views highlighting the various aspects he has witnessed in running a successful healthcare facility.

1. Tell us about your Hospital in Brief? What kind of solutions is offered by Kovai Medical Center at par with the current healthcare standards?

KMCH was started as 200-bed Multi Speciality hospital and has grown as tall as a 1000 bed facility over 27 years. We have main center located at Coimbatore with four satellite centers established in the nearby districts. As a group, we have 1300 beds and we are in the process of constructing additional 750 beds in the main center campus to cater to the growing demand of this region. Our basic mantras “Patient First” and “Quality Service to Everyone” made us easy to get NABH accreditation. We follow and concentrate ethical and evidence-based practice. Our technical expertise and latest infrastructure upgradation has enabled our team to perform many rare and difficult procedures to save many lives. Many of them are first in the City/State/Region. The path we travelled was not filled with rose petals but with hurdles and challenges like any other successful organization. But we could able to overcome all those challenges with the committed team who dedicated their life for the development of the hospital. We are blessed with such a wonderful team.

2. Can you please brief us about the Chairman of KMCH, and why he chooses to build a career in this field?

Dr. Nalla G Palaniswami, Chairman, KMCH is hailing from an agricultural family who is the first graduate in his village. After post-graduation in India, he went abroad for specialization. The best practices in Medicine have evolved to a great extent over the period since his education in 1960s. The clinical expertise which he has gained during his stay in the United States of America and Indian healthcare environment prevailed then, have both deeply kindled his desire to establish a similar system of quality and affordable care for the people of India. The thought process was initiated in early 1980s and attained final structure in 1990. There were series of long hour and overnight talks and meetings with like-minded fellow men and investors across the globe to materialize the concept. He has sacrificed his luxurious life at USA and moved to India for making his dream true.

3. What are your views on today’s healthcare industry; and according to you, how are you contributing to making it better for clients, patients, and doctors?

Healthcare delivery system is a fast-growing, dynamic and volatile field, where one has to constantly upgrade the technical infrastructure and efficient operational techniques to be successful in the industry. Upgrading technology requires heavy investment, whose return on investment is not encouraging. As the patients are better informed, their expectations are high and hence demanding. The margins are very thin and sustainability is assured, only if the volume is obtained. Due to this, many of the small healthcare players are facing challenges in continuing business. Our transparency and ethical practice bring more and more patients through word of mouth through satisfied patients. We believe that technology can help doctors in precision delivery. Most of new techniques and technological advancements were introduced by us to this region. As the doctors have latest equipment and freedom of taking medical decisions, they feel comfortable.

4. During your journey towards growth, list out the challenges you had faced and lessons that you have learned from them.

Challenges

1. Getting trained manpower and retaining them.
2. Increased operational cost but reducing profit margin.
3. Increased expectations of the patients.
4. Shift of loyalty to newer hospitals by employees and doctors.
5. Frequent revision in the minimum wages by Govt. for various categories.
6. Obsolescence of medical technology.
7. Essential investments in equipment and technology, in spite of poor return.
8. Change of tax/duty structure by policy makers.
9. Misconception among public that private hospitals charge more.

Lessons

1. Having a training cell and allocating separate budget for training.
2. Improving the operational efficiency and cutting cost wherever possible without affecting the service level.
3. Making the hospital patient centric and patient friendly. Being non-technical patients measure more tangibles in services and take decision about a hospital.
4. It is inevitable. Mentally prepare to lose at least 30% of man power every year. As a backup, working out a strategy to developing 2nd and 3^rd level in each department to meet the crisis. Developing multi-tasking team to meet any crisis. Having more than one doctor in a specialty will always help.
5. In a joint forum it needs to be represented to the policy makers the increasing cost to the hospital and seek help the industry to do something.
6. Innovations in this field are very fast and hence could not be avoided.
7. To make the hospital competitive, investment in technology is unavoidable.
8. Joint representation to policy makers can help the industry.
9. Need to change the mindset of the public on this.

 

5. What benefits your Patients/clients are getting from Kovai Medical Center?

First and foremost is the availability of all specialties under one roof. Second most important is the very clean and green environment. The friendly approach and patient centric approach feel the patients comfortable at home. The transparency and ethical approach makes to realize that they are in the right place for treatment. Our investment in technology and clinical expertise makes the patient to blindly approach us for their treatment. Unaffordable patients can also get treatment through charitable trust. Various other facilities like bank, ATMs, variety of food courts, SPA, Preventive health checks, shopping plazas makes the patients and attenders feel away from sickness. With various CSR activities the patients and society are benefitted.

6. Which strategies do you follow to stay competent? How are you shaping yourself to become unique?

We strongly believe in technological investments and we are the healthcare leader in this region. With such investments, we are the first in many complicated and advanced procedures in this region. In spite of advanced technologies, we are at par with the market in terms of charges to the patients. Our awareness programs for the public are very useful for various preventive measures. Various research programs by our team are very educative and useful for the society. With one main center of 1000 beds at Coimbatore, we have six peripheral centers in and around the region so that we can serve everywhere. We are in the process of entering to medical educative program thereby we will be a major medical player in the southern India.

7. What would you attribute your success to?

Our quality service, patient friendly approach, latest technology, affordable cost, transparency in billing, ethical practices, clean and green environment are the major attributes to our success. Above all these aspects, a dedicated and sacrificing team of doctors, paramedics, administrators, health workers steered by an able leadership makes this journey successful.

8. What is the best part of your Kovai Medical Center, and how are you going to utilize it in the future?

We have state of the art infrastructure, latest technological equipment and best of talent pool that can do anything the world can do, successfully. We have already established ourselves and earned reputation and confidence among the population. We will try to achieve much more heights and make our hospital as the premier destination for healthcare needs.