BMH HEAL 2020
‘Future Healthcare: Harnessing Technology’
The seventh edition of BMH HEAL 2020 is an initiative by Baby Memorial Hospital that provides a platform for hospitals and healthcare providers across India, to discuss and exchange innovative ideas and techniques for improving healthcare services through efficient administration and leadership. This year the conference was held as a webinar on the 30th of October 2020. Keeping in view the current healthcare scenario the topic of this year’s conference was ‘Future Healthcare: Harnessing Technology’.
Dr. KG Alexander, Chairman and Managing Director of Baby Memorial Hospital affirmed during the introductory address that technology has helped hospitals to improve their efficiency and more can be achieved in the coming days when artificial intelligence makes its presence felt in the healthcare systems.
Air Marshal Dr. Pawan Kapoor AVSM, VSM (Bar) (Rtd) - Vice Chairman, Rus-education and Vice Chancellor of Lincoln American University, Guyana, delivered the keynote address. The panel discussion was the major attraction during the webinar. The main objective of the panel discussion was - Opportunities, Practicalities and Challenges of Digital technologies. The panellists included Dr. Atul M. Kochhar - CEO at NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers), Dr. Ramesh Madhavan – CEO at Tia Tech Health Technologies USA, Dr. Ajay Nair - CEO at Swasth, Dr. Rajkumar Samuvel - Dy. Head & Consultant at Dr Mehtha’s Hospital and Mr. Saji S Mathew - COO at BMH. The panel discussion was moderated by Dr. Sameer Mehta, Chief Investment Director of Atlas Family Office and Vice Chairman of Dr. Mehta’s Hospital.
Dr Ajay briefed on the digital health trends & digital health mission activities in India. Dr Atul spoke about the standards & inter-operability among healthcare IT systems to provide quality patient care.
Mr. Saji narrated his experience of harnessing technology to provide better patient and employee experience undertaken at Baby Memorial Hospital. Dr Ramesh shared his experience of technology adoption in USA. Dr Rajkumar spoke about Tele-ICU & Why Doctors & Nurses should depend on technology for delivering better care.
The webinar proved that if we were technologically prepared enough to address the global spread of a communicable disease, the onslaught of covid-19 could have been brought under control at an early phase. However, many healthcare providers have managed to utilise existing technologies to extend medical services to people during and after the covid-19 lock down periods.
Since its inception in 2014, HEAL is normally organised as a two day workshop. Unfortunately, due to the prevailing circumstances, this year’s conference had to be constrained to a virtual platform, in the form of a two hour webinar. However, it brought together national and international senior level experts from the healthcare industry to share their knowledge, expertise and thoughts on successful healthcare strategies, with a focus on this year’s theme 'Future Healthcare: Harnessing Technology'. As an accompaniment, an online quiz and a poll were conducted to keep the participants engaged.
The webinar has now became popular among the healthcare professionals globally. 447 delegates participated including representations from abroad including Kuwait, Oman, USA, Congo Republic, Finland and Belarus.
The webinar was supported by AHPI (Association of Healthcare Providers [India]) and RFHHA (Research Foundation of Hospital and Healthcare Administration).
The national conference Healthcare Excellence through Administration and Leadership (HEAL) was a dream project conceptualised in the year 2014. The programme aims to build a platform for exchanging new concepts, ideas and experiences of various visionaries and eminent experts in the healthcare industry. The participants are hospital administrators, hospital management students etc. across India. The very first conference held in 2014 grabbed the attention of health care professionals across the country and declared it a great success. Over 250 delegates attended the two day workshop. The tradition continued over the years with the conference being held in October each time for two days. In the year 2017 the conference officially entered as a national record holder in the India Book of Records for organising the conference consistently and consecutively for four years in association with Research Foundation of Hospital & Healthcare Administration (RFHHA), New Delhi. Encouraged by the response, in 2019 variety entertainment and cultural programmes were added along with a banquet dinner to increase networking and personal bonding. This was highly appreciated by the participants. The organisers are even more keen in bringing versatile personalities and selecting innovative and current topics in the newer versions of HEAL.