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Hot Seat
Hospitality in Healthcare
When lessons from hospitality were implemented in healthcare,
it created a new wave at India's first corporate hospital. K Deepalakshmi
finds out more about George Eapen, CEO, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai
and his role in serving up healthcare with a dash of hospitality
 Healthcare
and Hospitality. At the first sight they may seem to be two diametrically diverse
industries but a closer look will reveal the common chord —both aim at
customer satisfaction. And both industries measure this satisfaction in terms
of tangible and intangible components. For instance, a patient has to ‘feel’
better in order to get better and this part needs the right ambience as well
as the right amenities to be in place.
Probably, that is why George Eapen (57), CEO, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai Division
managed to succeed in both. A graduate in Hotel Management and with more than
a decade long experience in hospitality, he stepped into healthcare — a
new field to him and he has proved his worth here too. "Hospitality is
routine in nature. after a point the potential is not completely utilised,"
says Eapen. “On the other hand, healthcare though less glamorous, provides
a challenge everyday while attending patients," he feels.
Early Days
George Eapen's career graph started with a humble beginning as a management
trainee in ITC Welcome Group's Chola Sheraton, Chennai in 1976. He was later
posted as General Manager in the same hotel in 1986. Eapen served 16 years in
the hospitality industry. He worked for several hotels in Welcome group. He
was posted in Delhi, Agra, Chandigarh and Jaipur, to name a few. "I was
on the move for quite sometime," says Eapen. "Whenever we relocated
to a new place, my wife would ask 'which is the next place?' he exclaims.
Finally, Eapen relocated to Chennai to take charge of Sindoori Hotel. It was
a budget hotel run by the Apollo Group. "At this point of time I got acquainted
with
Dr Prathap Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals," recalls Eapen. Dr Reddy
was exploring avenues of improving patient relations in his hospital. Impressed
with Eapen, Dr Reddy offered him to take charge of Apollo, Chennai. Eapen looked
at this offer as an opportunity rather than challenge. He took charge of Apollo
Hospitals, Chennai, in 1991.
From Hotel to Hospital
"Healthcare was new to me," states Eapen as a matter of fact. "Since
Dr Reddy was looking for someone to improve hospitality part in Apollo, I joined
here." In fact, Eapen was the first professional to join hospital administration
from Hospitality industry. "Hospitals were run by doctors and sometimes,
ex-army officers, I was the first one from a different field," says Eapen.
How were the initial days? "It was indeed challenging to satisfy every
patient and it is still an everyday challenge," answers Eapen. He quickly
learnt the nuances of healthcare sector and set his priorities right. Though
a CEO of a Hospital, Eapen does not interfere in the treatment of the patients.
The medical practitioners are given full freedom on treatment related decisions.
His focus is on administration and operation. "My work is to provide full
support for the medical practitioner to carry out his job — to treat the
patients," he clarifies. “A patient should meet the doctor for his
treatment and can meet me for everything else”, he adds. Today, medical
practitioners are not involved in administration and the administrators do not
interfere in the treatment. Though a new concept, it was a welcome change in
the hospital and Eapen succeeded in the initial task.
The Administration Pyramid
Healthcare, being a round-the-clock industry, it was important for the administrators
to work round-the- clock. The first step towards professionalising hospitals
was to introduce the concept of 'Hospital Managers.' "Apollo is being run
by managers, who work in shifts," says Eapen. Eapen separated the clinical
and operations department and made them independent. The day-to-day operations
are handled by a General Manager - Operations and a Director of Medical Service
controls the clinical activities. Both report to the CEO. There is a manager
for each department like food service, front desk, accounting, waste management,
etc who reports to the General Manager - Operations. "We support the clinical
people by providing them all the amenities needed in terms of process and service."
He also de-centralised the administration by assigning more powers to the managers.
No time is lost in seeking permission as most decisions are taken by the respective
managers. "It is not possible to be physically present everywhere all the
time. My managers ensure my presence is felt," he says. His office is however
open to all. He is approached by staff with suggestions, feedbacks and problems
faced in the workplace. He interacts with them and does the needful. "At
the end of the day, healthcare means doctors," says Eapen. Hospital administration
ensures doctors carry out their task to their fullest capacity.
 Personal
Life: Married to Nita Eapen (54) who is a writer and interior designer.
Their daughter Ishana (12) is in school.
His philosophy in life: Do not set a limit
to what you can do and try to be a good listener always.
People he admires: All those who choose
to make a difference in the lives of others. Dr Prathap C Reddy, Chairman,
Apollo Hospitals Group for not only putting India on the world map of
quality healthcare but also for his tireless efforts to constantly upgrade
technology and systems at Apollo. AN Haksar, Former Chairman, ITC, for
his visionary concept of diversification for sustained growth and for
instilling in him the importance of looking beyond the 'employee' to the
'individual' within. Eapen attended a conference, last year, on 'Strategic
Options for the Hospital Market' in Cologne, Germany, where he spoke on
the topic ‘How to conquer the Asian Health Market - Opportunities
and Risks’
Most happy moments in his career: Each time
a seemingly 'hopeless' case goes home well. Each time Apollo is acknowledged
for the work it does.
He enjoys all kinds of music. "I seem to end
up listening mostly to what my daughter plays around the house,"
he grins. Spends free time, when he gets any, figuring out complicated
computer programs with his daughter. A workaholic, according to his wife
who feels Apollo is his second home.
Enjoys reading when he gets the time - usually
trade related literature, but, occasionally, a Paolo Coelho or a biography.
Likes to travel when he can. Favourite destinations -France and Germany.
Looks forward to at least one adventure holiday with his family each year.
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Service Beyond Treatment
Guest relations are an important lesson in hospitality. Eapen used these lessons
in patients to make Apollo more patient-centric. "Though a patient comes
to a hospital for treatment, attending to his small needs and making his stay
comfortable, will make a great difference," says Eapen. Eapen introduced
many such small but significant improvements like opening a separate admission
desk for elder patients so that they need not wait in long queues, hiring interpreters
to interact with patients, multiple language signboards in the hospital, employing
patient relationship officers and so on.
"The mindset of the patient is also changing," reveals Eapen. A patient
expects him to be treated just like how he is treated in the aviation industry
or a luxury hotel, especially when he is spending a premium compared to other
hospitals. We actually compete with these industries in terms of service”,
says Eapen.
He was also instrumental in implementing changes in hospital rooms. He introduced
the concept of a 'private suite' in Apollo Hospital — which are rooms that
resemble a star hotel. These rooms are well equipped with internet access, television,
lounge, kitchenette, attached bath and patients are ensured total privacy. These
rooms are a preferred choice for international patients.
Eapen's typical day in Apollo starts with extensive round-ups,
visiting every department and speaking to random patients. He engages in informal
chats with staff and patients and gets their feedback. He then chairs structured
meetings for every department, reviews performances and troubleshoots wherever
necessary. As the Chennai division comprises three hospitals (one each in Chennai,
Madurai, and Mysore) as well as several clinics across the State, he visits
these hospitals at regular intervals.
Medical Tourism
 'Medical
tourism' is the forte of Eapen. Apollo was being flooded with international
patients much before the concept of medical tourism gained prominence in India.
"Apollo used to get patients from UK for cataract surgeries in early 90s,"
he recalls. He foresaw a big opportunity in the form of international patients
and right then decided to tap foreign patients. "During the nineties, European
countries were facing a manpower shortage in the healthcare sector and they
were looking for an alternative," he explains. Meanwhile, Apollo had earned
a good reputation across the globe and India was seen as an inexpensive alternative.Thus
international patients came to India.
Eapen wanted to promote Apollo as a destination for healthcare. He represented
Apollo at the ITB Exhibition in Berlin in 2003. This is a yearly exhibition
to promote travel and tourism. Apollo had a stall in this exhibition and showcased
its facilities and treatments on offer. The exhibition was a roaring success
for Apollo and enquiries were pouring in from across the globe. "We used
to receive about 200 mails daily," recalls Eapen. The response was so good
that Apollo now runs a separate department to look into medical tourism.
The inflow of international patients increased gradually from UK to the rest
of the European countries, then the US, Middle East, African countries and South-East
Asia, in short the entire globe! Some choose India, since its on par with the
Western countries in terms of technology and for many it's a cheaper option.
"We do not provide treatment at a cheaper rate," clarifies Eapen.
"A heart surgery works out to Rs 2 lakh here and its not a small amount."
It is the rupee value that makes healthcare 'cheaper' here, he says.
Patient Satisfaction
The demands of international patients are quite different from Indians, observes
Eapen. Unlike Indians, they prefer to stay alone, avoid crowds, expect more
privacy and confidentiality and lay great emphasis on cleanliness. Eapen makes
sure these demands are met. The international patient department takes care
of the patient the moment he lands in Chennai. The stay, treatment, sight-seeing,
visa related issues are all facilitated by this department. "Their stay
in India should be a memorable one," says Eapen.
Not just international patients, Apollo sees patients walking in from all sections
of society. It receives celebrity patients as well as poor ones. He is particular
that all receive the same kind of treatment. "The comfort may differ in
a general ward and a special ward, but the treatment is the same," he says.
There are times when the hospital is over crowded when a public personality
is admitted and this could disturb the rest of the patients. He personally attends
to such situations and instructs the concerned staff to control the crowds.
Embracing Technology
Apollo was one of the few hospitals to have a website in nineties. Eapen wanted
to have a user-friendly website for Apollo that would be self-sufficient to
answer all the queries. This website played a major role in attracting foreign
patients. Today, this website is not just for information. The e-doc facility
enables a patient to obtain appointments through online.
'Dial 1066 for an ambulance' was also his brain child. The Apollo ambulance
service is just not for mobility, but is capable of conducting first aid during
the commute. "There are several trauma cases brought dead to the hospital.
This can be avoided if the person is attended to immediately," he says.
The Apollo ambulance is connected to the main hospital through wireless communication.
The para-medical staff follows the instructions of the hospital's doctors so
that the patient gets first aid during the transit. The treatment continues
in the hospital. Twenty such ambulances ply across Chennai. "Our para-medical
staff is trained to save lives," he says. He opened information centres
in Guwahati, Kolkata and Port Blair which function as telemedicine centres too.
He makes it a point to attend international fairs and exhibitions related to
medical equipment along with biomedical engineers and clinicians to know the
latest in the field. "It has been Apollo's policy not to hesitate in investing
in latest equipment," says Eapen.
His next target is to make Apollo paperless. Hospital Information Management
System (HIMS) implementation is underway in Apollo.
An Apollo Near You
A major challenge for Apollo was the large in-flow of patients and no space
for further expansion. This was a delicate situation for Eapen, since rejecting
a patient means loss of revenue and taking patients beyond capacity means less
personal attention. His solution: de-centralise Apollo. In 1993, Apollo started
First Med Centre in Poonamalle High Road, Chennai. This was Apollo's first hospital
in Chennai outside the premises of the main hospital. Then came Apollo Specialty
Hospital, Apollo Heart Centre, OPD clinics in Annanagar, Tondiarpet, Sowcarpet
and Alwarpet. These clinics are spread across Chennai and reduce traffic at
the main hospital. "We don't lose revenue as they anyway come to Apollo,"
says Eapen. The patients who visit these clinics are referred to the main hospital
only if they require tertiary care treatment.
Since Apollo draws patients from East and North Eastern India, the three information-cum-telemedicine
centres take care of routine follow-ups of these patients.
These initiatives were later adopted throughout the Apollo group. The next in
the line is the concept of an Apollo Reach Hospital. A product from the think
tank - Apollo plans to start secondary care hospitals in tier II and tier III
cities of Tamil Nadu and later in other such similar Indian cities.
The Think Tank
Eapen reveals the secret behind his success- to listen. He has always welcomed
any suggestion from anyone. He never hesitates to implement the good ones. "Ideas
can come from anyone and anywhere," he reasons. The concept of a separate
set-up for heart care, called Apollo Heart Centre and an exclusive clinic for
women called, Apollo Women Centre were born out of these suggestions.
The Apollo Wellness Clinic, another such initiative, promotes alternative therapy.
"Indian healthcare originally meant Ayurveda, Siddha and natural medicines.
We know allopathy only after the British came here," he explains. The Wellness
Clinic provides a gamut of treatments like yoga, energy healing, gym and fitness,
medical aromatherapy, in addition to Indian medicine. We provide these therapies
along with allopathic treatment to enable faster healing, he adds. This is again
welcomed by international patients.
Healthcare in Future
"Healthcare is a sunrise industry in India today with an "infinite"
growth potential," says Eapen. With the increase in insurance companies
and general awareness in healthcare, the industry is set to boom. Having spent
more than fifteen years in healthcare, Eapen has mastered the art of hospital
administration. He never hesitates to attribute it to Apollo. "Apollo has
not only set the standard but has also raised the bar for the healthcare industry
as a whole," he says. While it has several path-breaking achievements to
its credit, its real challenge will be to advance its goals constantly. Understanding
his goals and tasks lying ahead of him, Eapen sums up, "We are the leaders
with 42 hospitals and want to remain as the leader."
k.deepalakshmi@expressindia.com
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