Ganesh was in the final year of MBBS when he started exploring the non-clinical aspect of hospitals such as its administration and operations. An epidemiologist-turned entrepreneur, he now works at the intersection of healthcare, technology and consulting. “My father was a plastic surgeon. Most of my relatives are also doctors and thus becoming a doctor was a natural choice and inspiration,” he says.
Having graduated in the UK with a Masters in International Public Health, when Ganesh returned to India, he started working as an epidemiologist and hospital administrator. As much as he enjoyed his journey as a clinical researcher and administrator both, he constantly felt his expertise was not enough. “It was nice to be on the other side but running a hospital was tougher than taking care of the patients,” he says.
Today, Ganesh owns two companies. While one offers expert business development and operational advice to firms, the other bridges the knowledge gap between the healthcare medical supplies and demand. “The confidence to start my own companies roots from the learning that happened at ISB,” he says.
“The Advanced Management Programme for Healthcare came in very handy for me. It was designed to suit mid-career doctors like me who were not required to take long breaks from work. It touched upon almost all the aspects of management such as finance, marketing and operations. As doctors, we are not very well versed in such subjects,” he says. He adds while running a hospital or a chain of clinics, saving a penny is always more important than increasing revenue. “ISB helped me learn such intricate concepts of management. Each of the subjects such as cost optimisation, healthcare economics, leadership and others gave me a different perspective,” he adds.
Being with a team of veteran administrators, doctors and CEOs contributed immensely to his learning. “The amount of peer-to-peer learning in the programme was immense. We not only discussed solutions in class but also the impact of solutions. Moreover, the problem statements and their solutions were all drawn from real-life experiences of the participants at AMPH. This amalgam of perspectives can never be learnt from textbooks.”
The ISB campus astounded him. “I had never expected an Indian campus to have such international standards,” says Ganesh. He quickly adds, “The professors were very patient towards our queries and the programme was designed to be interactive. Every aspect of it was so meticulously planned that apart from a huge amount of learning, we also took back great friends and a fantastic peer network,” he recalls.
Soon after graduating from the programme, Ganesh was promoted to the role of a Senior General Manager at his hospital. “AMPH gave me a lot of confidence. The fact that I was an ISB alumnus was an accreditation that helped me bag great opportunities. Within one year, I had a fabulous opportunity knocking on my doors and I joined a 2,000-bed hospital in a top management role.” He adds, “The doctors looking to lead a particular department at hospitals or willing to set up their own hospitals will find the AMPH very useful. But before you come here, do your homework and identify the questions you seek answers to. At ISB, you will find all your answers.”
Brief Bio
Dr Ganesh Veerasekar is the Founder & Managing Partner of Sarathee Strategic Consultancy, and Managing Partner, Alpha Link Solutions. He completed his MBBS from Kerala University in 2010, followed by Masters in Public Health (Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Health Administration) from the University of York in 2012. He is an entrepreneur, management consultant, strategist who provides 360-degree support to the healthcare and manufacturing industries.