Have you ever wondered why multi-speciality hospitals 
in India and Globally resembles like a star hotel ? The takeover of corporate style operation in hospitals have become more like a professional business and less to a traditional clinic.
The Boons
They manage 20+ medical departments (like cardiology, oncology and neurology) under one roof requiring specialised administrative roles like C-suite leaders ( CEO, COO ) to co-ordinate complex operations and huge patient volume.
The digital transformation and integrated AI automation has greatly reduced administrative tasks by providing online bookings, lessening wait times and potentially giving nurses 20% more direct patient care.
Corporate structures makes it easier to attract Private equity and Foreign Direct Investment to setup huge modern infrastructures and advanced technologies.
They offer services like 24/7 emergency department, Intensive care unit, Neonatal care unit, Laboratory & pathology, Radiology and many more so that all benefits are utilised under one roof.
The Banes
Doctors and nurses often feel like they are working in a factory. They have strict targets for number of patients seen resulting in stress and short appointment times.
Large corporate systems can feel cold and faceless compared to small community hospitals where doctors know your family personally. This makes to sense a loss of personal touch with the doctor.
Costs here can be 20 times higher than public alternatives, for example an ICU bed may costs ₹30000 per day compared to ₹1500 in public hospitals.
To meet the high revenue goals set by management, some hospitals may encourage unnecessary diagnosis or procedures.
Conclusion:
Hospitals can be successful and purposeful only when it serves as a patient centred system rather than a business. Doctors should be allowed to focus on patients so that quality of outcomes precedes over quantity of cases.
What’s your opinion on this corporate style operation of hospitals and how quality of healthcare be improved ?
MBH/AB