The right to healthcare is a universal entitlement; however, 60% of the Indian population is unable to access it due to inadequate infrastructure, scarce medical personnel, and limited access to basic medical resources and facilities. The majority of the 700 million residents live in areas with subpar healthcare conditions. Given this dire situation, there is a pressing need for new plans and measures to ensure that quality healthcare is made available to the underprivileged communities in urban areas. With the aid of mobile technology, a number of organizations are collaborating with the government and NGOs to lessen the strain on the public health system.
Upasana Arora, CEO and Managing Director of Yashoda Super Speciality Hospitals, aims to bridge the gap in healthcare access in India so that others, particularly those from underprivileged backgrounds, do not face the challenge of traveling long distances to receive treatment at a facility equipped with the latest medical technologies.
Tapping into the Healthcare Sector
Upasana Arora holds a bachelor’s degree in arts and a master’s degree in arts and political science. To enhance her contribution to patient safety and stay updated on the latest in the healthcare industry, she completed the Quality Leadership Program at Harvard Medical School and several management programs at IIM Ahmedabad in India.
Upasana has a strong desire to give back to society, which led her to the healthcare field, driven by its focus on serving others. Tragically, she lost both of her parents at a young age due to inadequate healthcare, which motivates her to work towards ensuring that everyone has access to quality healthcare in a timely manner.
Yashoda Super Speciality Hospitals
Yashoda Super Speciality Hospitals was established 32 years ago in memory of the late Yashoda Ji, who was the mother-in-law of Upasana Arora. Yashoda Ji was diagnosed with cancer and faced difficulties in obtaining proper healthcare due to the absence of facilities offering advanced medical treatment in Ghaziabad. To address this shortage, the hospital was founded to provide the underprivileged with access to state-of-the-art healthcare technologies. With this goal in mind, they started with a 100-bed secondary care hospital in 1990 and gradually expanded to a 300-bed facility in 2000. In 2006, they established a tertiary care hospital and in 2017, they opened a quaternary care hospital.
Offerings and Services
Yashoda Super Specialty Hospitals is offering a gamut of healthcare services that include comprehensive diagnostic and rehabilitative facilities under one roof that cover all specialties and super specialties. It distinguishes itself in the healthcare industry by adhering to the ethics and values of healthcare delivery by putting the needs of the patient first and offering individualized, high-quality care that results in positive patient outcomes. It is one of the few signatories to the Ethical Principles in Health Care (EPiHC) in India. It imbibes the ten operating principles of EPiHC, which are
- Respecting Laws and regulations
- Making a positive contribution to society
- Promoting High quality stan
- Conducting business matters responsibly
- Respecting the environment
- Upholding Patient Rights
- Safeguarding Information and using Data Responsibly
- Preventing discrimination, Harassment and bullying
- Protecting and empowering staff
- Supporting ethical practices and preventing harm
Processes and Protocols
As the managing director of a NABH 5th-edition accredited hospital, Upasana adheres to standardized procedures and protocols that cover all patient points of contact, from emergency care and admission through discharge. “I was focused on the personal touch with patients, their attendants, and even the staff. The personal touch though is very comfortable in building relationships, but sometimes it can backfire as expectations can be very high and it can exceed your resources.” Says Upasana. There are objective elements that a NABH-accredited hospital must comply with, and NABH is again accredited by ISQua (The International Society for Quality in Health Care), so the hospital is also accredited by ISQua. The hospital has an online and offline system for collecting customer feedback and resolving complaints. The clients have the right to either divulge or conceal their identity. The senior management team keeps an eye on the mechanisms for customer feedback and complaints, which have an impact on all aspects of patient care.
Combination of Excellence and Care
As a CEO and Managing Director of Yashoda Super Speciality Hospitals, Upasana is responsible for administration and strategic growth of the hospital. She believes in the ideology of progressive growth and continuing education. The fact that the hospital in Ghaziabad was the first NABH accredited hospital in 2010 and that she was the first Indian working in India to receive the esteemed Fellowship of ISQua (International Society for Quality and Accreditation) in 2015 demonstrate her leadership in the field of healthcare excellence.
Upasana ensures the safety and privacy of all patients in the hospital. She adheres to the “open door” policy and welcomes all members of the staff and clinical colleagues to drop by her office without an appointment, regardless of their designation or role. Within her organization, she presides over meetings and continuing education events. Personal care, respect for all, fostering a family-like environment for staff and parents, and connecting with them so they can share their concerns and views serve as action points for her to improve the care for the patients and provide a better working environment for the staff—these are the culture and values that resonate with her.
Action Plan for the Society
Upasana is a follower of three H and three pillars. The three Hs stand for what is in the head, what is in the heart, and what is in the hand. What is in the head refers to the thought process, which should be pure, what is in the heart refers to the feelings, which should be good to all; and what is in the hand refers to the skilled staff providing effective care. The pillars center on providing ethical treatment to patients with transparency that delights them and makes healthcare professionals happy. Therefore, Upasana is constantly aiming to create a joyful environment that spreads good vibrations to everyone.
One of her current areas of focus is the eradication of tuberculosis in her district, and she is helping the Indian government’s initiative to do so by adopting all of the disease’s patients in the Ghaziabad district and giving them medication, dietary supplements, treatment, and counseling. She ensures regular health check-ups of mentally challenged and blind people and provide them with medical assistance as per their needs. She frequently organizes free health clinics in association with NGOs, RWAs, schools, societies, corporations, and public utility companies.
Upasana has organized health camps where she also offers patients with various illnesses free treatment. Another area of focus is the girl child, and numerous residential schools for girls and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that support girls have been established which are supported by Upasana. The Directors have also adopted villages in the periphery of the district, where they are providing regular health camps to the people in the villages.
The Future Awaits
Upasana dreams that her hospital will be present all over the globe. She currently has two branches in the nation, and she will open a third branch later this year. After that, she plans to open a fourth branch in the country the following year. She tells the young, up-and-coming leaders that there is no elevator that will take them to the top. “Your need to work hard and consistently towards achieving your goals, as there is no shortcut to success,” she adds.
Written by Steve Sanchez.
