1. Being a private hospital, what are the problems that your entity faces apart from medical costs? What steps have you taken to surpass these problems?

With the rapid growth of modernization, the cost of medical treatment is accelerating as well.  We require the best technologies to operate and provide our patients with quality care which correspondingly increases the cost.  It becomes quite difficult to save one’s life without employing the appropriate technologies. We have lost many lives in the past due to the lack of ICUs. In severe situations, we need to fly our patients outside which again is not a very reliable way.

Thus, ICUs, emergency services, equipment are an indispensable part of a medical unit however they have costs exceeding. The cost of one MRI machine is around Rs. 4-5 Cr and thus considering it, not many hospitals invest in good technologies and rather focus at providing cost-effective services. Yet, this is only evadable for one section of society. People prefer traveling outside for treatment as they definitely want to get operated on in the best hospitals. Therefore, if we want our patients to get operated on in their own state, then we need to facilitate them with the best treatment. While sourcing costly machines, we face two biggest obstacles. The first one stands to be the AMC & CMC where the comprehensive insurance for the MRI is 25 lakhs in a year excluding CTA, oxygen plant, etc. The second problem that arises is that of the vendors who outsource the machines and thus they don’t have any service mechanics in Guwahati. Hence, to overcome such obstacles we usually source equipment with an extensive warranty. However, we do prioritize cost-cutting as a result of which we avoid the use of expensive equipment so as to make it budget-friendly or patient-friendly.

2. Does Swagat Hospital have any schemes available for people belonging to a lower financial background to get good quality medical treatment?

Swagat being a hospital run only by doctors where all the members of my family are doctors, including my wife, both the sons, and my daughter in law as well. Thus, we unitedly believe that empathy towards our patients is supplementary when it transpires from Doctor’s approach. Considering the same, it would slightly be difficult to state the exactly reserved beds for the subsidized economic group. Yet, we undoubtedly provide 10-20% mass of the specified group with the right treatment at a very subsidized rate. If any patient belongs to my village or my father-in-law’s, the individual then gets a discount of 25%. Likewise, we have a provision of 15-20% discount for the faculty of Cotton University and other schools and colleges as well. We are all aware of how the pandemic affected the lives of the local entrepreneurs and it’s very evident that one cannot run a super specialty hospital for free. I truly believe that we should extend our support and services to people as far as possible while assuring our own efficient survival.

3. CSR activities are taken up under Swagat Hospital?

Last year, we couldn’t perform any such CSR activities due to the immense impact of the pandemic. The entire team was involved in rescuing the Covid patients. Initially, when covid started, a meeting was held with the Govt. of Assam where our Hon’ble Health Minister invited some of the private hospital owners and doctors. It was decided that the private hospitals shall admit government patients under Atal Amrit Abhyan Scheme. Furthermore, we have developed the Shantipur wing, which was completely isolated for covid patients. Last year, the CSR activities we performed were entirely covid centric. The situation then was very hectic to be precise, but it is quite a in control as of now and we have been capable enough to plan our CSR actively. This year itself on 2nd of January, we conducted a free blood camp where I was the first person to donate blood. Likewise, on 15th March 2022, we conducted a free health checkup initiative in Guwahati University for their staff where I was personally supervising and encouraging our team. At present, the entire team is surveying few of the model places and villages where they shall further carry out such activities. We collaborate with different institutes like IIT, Guwahati University, etc. to conduct free camps and other possible activities within the premises. The last free camp that we did was dedicatedly specified for Cardiac patients as it was discovered that many people suffered from heart diseases post-Covid. We aspire to conduct more such camps in the near future.

4. With digital platforms, providing medical deliveries and online appointments, how do you think it has been beneficial for Swagat Hospital?

Being a man of technology, whenever there is a new invention in the field of health, I shall always prefer to be the first person to bring it to the Northeast. Initially, I brought laparoscopic surgery in 1992, Endoscopic surgery in 1996, Robotic Surgery, etc. Thus, we truly believe in the positive aspect of technology. Digital platforms have been very helpful and beneficial in this regard. During the last two years of Covid, I even got involved in teaching courses. I voluntarily challenged myself and took up the ‘ERCP Program’ which dealt with in training advanced Endoscopic. Under this, program, the first such program for surgeons who wanted to undertake ERCP as a treatment methodology for their liver stone cases, we took up 24 subjects or candidates or trainee surgeons from India and abroad and each one of them to our knowledge is doing advanced ERCP in their centers. Apart from this Digital platform plays a wonderful role in introspecting your creativity and expressing it. This platform has been a great tool for generating awareness about Covid, in making people aware of the various medical issues, etc. The availability of online platforms has made the lives of the masses quite feasible. I have a dedicated IT and digital team. In this regard, if anyone has any queries, they can easily reach out to us, and apparently, they shall get responses in a few hours.

5. Have any steps/awareness campaigns been taken up by Swagat Hospital for marketing to sustain a wider reach?

Yes, definitely. As I already mentioned the right use of technologies and digital platforms has been very beneficial for me and my marketing team. The marketing team visits all the camps and raises awareness in the best possible ways and thus reaching a wider audience. Therefore,  it has been really helpful for every sector.

6. How have the lives of the employees been affected due to pandemic. What measures did Swagat take to sustain their livelihood?

We made sure none of our employees suffered. We did not terminate any of our employees and there was no reduction in their salary as well. Those employees who wanted to work in the Covid wards were aided with paid holidays during the quarantine period and they were eventually paid double the salary assigned. This encouraged our employees to volunteer and help the patients during the covid situation.  Swagat Hospital assisted its employees with double the remuneration, paid leaves as per the guidelines.

7. What would you say is the USP of Swagat Hospital? What does Swagat Hospital offer for the betterment of the people of Assam and beyond?

Swagat Hospital is a unique hospital. We have always believed in its quality, excellence, and its service with care. We started with a centre of surgical excellence, but at present, our USP is that if there are any surgical patients who want any surgery and if they are unable to find any surgeons in Guwahati, they can directly approach us. Whether it is orthopedic or Neurology, one shall get all sorts of surgeons in Swagat Hospital. First and foremost, our doctors offer their services with utmost sincerity and always offer the best treatment. Secondly, we prefer to stay one step ahead in terms of technology. A patient should be operated on with the best technologies and equipment. I would suggest anyone who is willing to travel outside for treatment instead come and consult us once for any sort of solution regarding any surgeries for that matter.

8. Last but not least; please tell us about the upcoming projects and vision of Swagat Hospital and a message for the youth willing to be in this sector.

Among the upcoming projects, we recently installed robotic surgery where we have conducted many surgeries thus far. This is one of the advancements in the medical field being the pioneer in Northeast India in terms of this surgery.  We shall try to make similar arrangements for Cancer surgery, Neurosurgery, head and neck surgery, gynecology, urology, and other surgeries as well. We have eventually taken up a challenge regarding cardiac treatment. Being a surgical hospital, we have realized that there are many patients who suffer from heart ailments and are unable to get the right treatment. I specifically wanted to have the best cardiac unit and gratefully we have succeeded in being one of the best cardiac units in Guwahati. We are trying our best to develop this further. I have a strong vision of building a consortium of doctors. Since my tenure as the president of the Indian Laparoscopic society, I eagerly wanted to develop a team of surgeons who can take all of it forward.  There are various new concepts evolving in the field of medical science with new technologies and thus I really want the surgeons to be accustomed to the new equipment, technologies, new training and be well aware of artificial intelligence.

Keeping the same vision in mind, we must have a team of surgeons who would be different from others, well accustomed to information about new technologies, and updated with all medical treatments and procedures.  I really want this unit to take my knowledge, my legacy forward. Building up a consortium would help in dividing roles equally where one surgeon shall practice only one surgery.  A person who is a liver surgeon will only do liver surgery and not other surgeries. Apart from it, we are planning to develop Intervention Radiology. There is no such dedicated department for Intervention Radiology in Guwahati or Northeast. This is a new concept that helps us not inject unnecessary medicines into the whole body rather treat it directly. This will be the first dedicated Intervention radiology department where it shall help patients with internal bleed in the brain, gastrointestinal tracts or any other inaccessible part of the body, including bleeding from a tumor and thus save us from an unnecessary big surgical procedure whereas it is life-saving. We shall hopefully launch this by next month on the 24^th of April, 2022.

Healthcare is a very reputed sector. One gets a lot of respect to be in this field. It requires courage to be there and work for the people 24*7.  At the same time, it is very important to understand that although there’s immense risk involved in this field, one must not interpret it negatively.. One may not also get enough money as expected in this field, but the amount of respect that an individual shall receive is incomparable. The scope in this forte is broadening up, awareness regarding treatment is increasing, the scope of health work is widening, more male nurses are involved, the number of technicians are increasing that helps in saving lives in no time and the list continues. Health care as a whole is a big industry, a big service to the community and we really need more doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers in this field to help the community and eventually build a better place.