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IHF
to restructure itself as an advisory body
Soumya
Viswanathan - Mumbai
The
Indian Healthcare Federation (IHF), a consortium of around
40 hospitals in the country is looking at changing its
structure to form a ‘NASSCOM-like’ organisation
to act as a advisory body to the government. The draft
proposal of objectives and organisational structure prepared
by president-elect, IHF, Brig Joe Curian is under review.
Once this is finalised, IHF will seek government recognition
as a body who can advise them.
According
to Brig Curian, CEO, Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai, the IHF
will be a non-profit organisation and act as a domain
knowledge centre with data and experience to advise the
government so as to catalyse industry growth. "The
intention is to give a shape to the IHF with an expanded
mandate," he added. The IHF presently is a toothless
body battling local problems and other small issues like
custom duty exemption. "IHF has not done anything
significant in the last five years.
The
CII-Mckinsey report supported by IHF has been the first
major initiative. We want to therefore create a nonprofit
organisation, like American Hospitals Association (AHA)
of the US to fulfill the aspirations of stakeholders in
healthcare," added Curian. The CII-Mckinsey report
lays out an agenda for the IHF and includes quality, accreditation,
insurance and policy issues as the areas to be tackled
.
The
proposed objectives are to facilitate business in healthcare,
create and maintain a healthcare information database,
to help members make sound business decisions and forward
recommendations to government so as to facilitate policy
decisions. "IHF will get credibility over a period
by their ability to influence govt decisions," said
Brig Curian.
The
proposed organisational structure is to have an executive
council with 5-7 members, a permanent president &
CEO, secretariate with general management cell, government
liaison & policy cell, database & research cell
and event management & international services cell
and various member organisations. |
