If your dream is nobly profound, then the universal force helps you in achieving it. All you need is the intensely desiring heart to see your dream fulfilled. And the opportune moment will come to you somewhere, sometime in your life, to put you on your dream’s journey riding on the waves of your heartbeats.
Swarnalatha Arunachalam, the Managing Director of Arunas Heart Care Private Limited–operating under the trade name of Aruna Cardiac Care–dreamt of being a doctor since childhood. However, due to her own choice, she became an engineering graduate. She completed her Degree in Electronics and Communications in 1997. Then she worked in the software field. For a time period, she also worked as an Associate Professor in Engineering Colleges.
Fulfilling Her Heart’s Wishes
Swarnalatha shares, “Actually, I just wanted to become a doctor. However, my mathematical mind played the magic in my life. So I have become an engineer. Even though I am passionate about mathematics, my dream had always been to be a doctor.”
Then came the universal force in the form of destiny calling her heart, as she married Dr Arunachalam Esakkiappan, a cardiologist who used to visit various places for his practice. She began supporting him and going with him for her research projects.
She informs, “Since I have more inclination and faith in the healthcare industry, I have completed my PhD in Faulty of Electrical Engineering, Anna University in Healthcare Engineering domain.”
Also, since her husband is a cardiac professional, Swarnalatha can relate more with the medical space–with the biomedical engineering field and image processing being her key areas.
A Brilliant Mind of Multiple Talents
Two things can change one: Two things can change one’s life. One is education, and the other is health. Both are eyes to people and society. And eventually, for the country. Swarnalatha adds, “I want to be in such kind of industry. So that’s why in my early career, even though I worked in software, I switched over to the education field. Later my husband being a doctor, I entered into the healthcare domain. My research work is also in the Biomedical field.”
Rising Sun of the Aruna Cardiac Care
Swarnalatha, along with her husband, Dr Arunachalam, came in 2011-12 to Tirunelveli and started an outpatient department clinic, Aruna Cardiac Care. In ten years, they are able to make it out as 60 bedded Hospital under the company Arunas Heart Care Pvt Ltd.
Even though the name holds Cardiac Care, Arunas Heart Care Pvt Ltd evolved from Cardiac speciality to Multispeciality. And now they are operating as a multispecialty hospital, with all kinds of services and healthcare solutions for all categories of people. The hospital is fully equipped with a common ward, private ward, semi-private ward, and suit room to cater to all categories of people.
It offers healthcare services for a wide range of patients, including super-speciality services. It is one of the most Cardiac Excellence Hospitals in the south with a high-end state-of-the-art Cath lab Facility ‘GE INNOVA FLAT PANEL’ and the first state-of-the-art Laminar Flow modular twin operating rooms and CABG theatre incomparable with good quality care in Tirunelveli.
A Compassionate Heart of Sociopreneur
Along with successfully running Aruna Cardiac Care, Swarnalatha is an entrepreneur, being a partner of ASVUM PHARMA Siddha medicine manufacturing unit, which has geared up to unveil the medical mystery of the ancient medical system exclusively and extensively for the benefit of the people.
In social life, she works with various organizations. She belongs to the Inner Wheel club of Tirunelveli and holds the post of District Secretary, Inner Wheel District 321, Inner Wheel, an International Women’s Organization with a mission of friendship and service. She is also a Charter President of the Rotary club in Tirunelveli Porunai first all-women Rotary in Tirunelveli District. And She is the Co-founder of Annai Nivedita Aranerip Panpattu Maiyum, which insists on Ethics and Dharma to the young mind also works for women doing work, practising their own culture and transforming that culture to the next generation. She also holds the post of Secretary in the District Consumer Forum.
She works for Women Entrepreneurship in the small business area. The food and Hotel industry can be efficiently run by even low economic groups, non-working women community as a part-time job. She added that “We are giving items which require to run street shop, small catering services, through Rotary, Inner Wheel and other NGOs.” Supports the entrepreneur in start-up hurdles and encourages them to overcome the struggles they face.
In the last year, she has made around 20 more entrepreneurship development in the food industry–a record–that too with the street vendors. She just wants to make it a sense, not only as women empowerment but as women-led empowerment. And so, she is more in that activity not only in a professional but in a social way too.
Surmounting the Pandemic Adversities
Taking up her project of Aruna Cardiac Care two years back in June 2020, when the covid pandemic was at its peak, she faced a series of hurdles in renovating their Aruna Cardiac Care hospital.
The building construction–civil, electrical, plumbing, AC–work all was stalled due to travel restrictions and due to lockdown material supply were havoc. Even getting workers to the workplace was much more difficult due to a series of lockdowns and accommodating the site workers was a mess. Getting construction ideas and discussions with the architect, electrical consultant, and other services consultants in person was not feasible during the pandemic.
However, with the support of advanced technology, she could imagine and was able to fulfil all her dreams through technology via virtual zoom meets with architects and other consultants. They followed all the COVID norms during the physical meeting. Swarnalatha’s husband being a doctor, couldn’t move because of the COVID and held up in his practice to care for the COVID patients.
Due to the pandemic, they have logistic issues both at the national and international levels. Due to the pandemic, the medical equipment ordered were not delivered, stating the international import rules. At the national level, the material ordered could not ship in time. The delay and non-availability caused the undue delay in completing their dream hospital within the time frame as the COVID disease was spreading. Swarnalatha says that she had well planned to run the institution for the first two years after the inauguration but didn’t expect this COVID pandemic delay which is nature’s curse. But with the blessings of God, things went relatively smooth.
Ethical Transparency of the Healthcare Professional
Talking about the professional values and the qualities of their mission, Swarnalatha says that they believe in the perfectly ethical practice of healthcare. Their own output from patients’ feedback shows that people demand ethical healthcare practices, “Which is the need of the hour for our society.” Thus, keeping people’s faith in the healthcare providers intact, at Aruna Cardiac Care, they are all in for ethical practices.
Swarnalatha states, “The dream of the project antedates to the time of our marriage when we decided to have the LOGO of our clinic in 2002 as ‘Serve Man Serve God’ with two shaking hands symbolizing the Heart shape. Our logo incorporates our mission: ‘Serving humanity with a homely touch and ethical way.’ Our institution is designed so that the people should feel as if they were in their homes. Hence, our tagline is ‘The Doctor Next Door.”
Ultimately Satisfied Patients Care
Revealing the USPs of Arunas Cardiac Centre, Swarnalatha says that they have a very homely, healthy environment and with people who already received treatment in their hospital gave very positive feedback. They felt it was a resort-like environment, and the nursing staff care was exemplary. “And here, our staff is always happy, and they treat patients with a human feel, not in a machinist or robotic way,” says Swarnalatha. Moreover, the centre is situated in the city’s heart in a calm and quiet atmosphere.
Organic Health-Tech Solutions
Being an experienced leader, Swarnalatha says she has a very high opinion of modern technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning’s (ML) positive impact on the healthcare industry.
Passionately Driving Wisdom
Swarnalatha’s advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, and doctors trying to enter the healthcare industry, especially in cardiac care, is significantly optimistic. She says that the healthcare industry, nowadays, is a very booming industry. Although they at Aruna Cardia Care never think about the return on investment, passion and focused work in the healthcare industry will result in profitable returns.
Based on their own practice, she advises that whatever the things you do, you have to have a passion for serving. Then that drive makes you completely focused. And your passion and complete focus make everyone support you.
And that’s a miracle when it takes you to a very consistent position, not only healthcare industry but in any industry. This point of view culminates in a successful business atmosphere.
Holistic Heart Care Future
Sharing her plans, Swarnalatha says that Aruna Cardiac Care will further extend its services to more geographical areas in holistic healthcare services with the highest quality healthcare delivery ecosystem to improve the country’s overall health and quality of life. She says, “Our promise to deliver such an eco-system does not focus on providing good medical equipment and facilities, but also on staffing our hospital with internationally accredited, highly skilled and qualified doctors to match international standards.”
