I served the armed forces as a medical officer for ten years. I had to leave the armed forces because of certain health-related issues. Naturally, my next option was to work in the civil world. As I worked at Kare Partners in Chandigarh, I realised that there is so much in the world outside the armed forces, so I decided to explore my career options.
I thought administrative roles will be a good transition for me, but I had limited experience with accounts, procurement, daily operations, etc. I was determined to learn how to do these things, so I applied for the Advanced Management Programme for Healthcare at ISB.
The programme was everything I had thought of and more. I was involved in several project work in the programme, which helped me understand communication and group work. The peer group had doctors and administrators from various organisations, so I could learn much more from them. In the armed forces, I was to do nothing but follow my superior’s orders, but here I was encouraged to question things and that was something that I thought I would never do again. The collaboration was a huge part of the programme, and it became my favourite learning from the programme.
I am currently an AGM – Clinical Operations at Neotia Getwel Healthcare Centre in Siliguri. Healthcare sector has seen a shift from being doctor-centric to patient-centric. This understanding has helped me to understand the dynamics of creating better patient care systems. I believe, doctors can make a huge difference in people’s lives. We cannot just heal wounds and make people illness-free, we can really listen to the patients and give them the space to speak their wants, which some are hesitant to share with their families too; providing them with comfort at the hospitals plays a huge role in running any hospital.
This #DoctorsDay, I ask the doctors to remain patient-centric and listen to the needs of the patient while suggesting a treatment plan, and I wish good health to the community, at large.
Know more about AMPH, here.
