‘A degree in medicine not essential to enter healthcare sector’

Dr. Lakhwinder P Singh, Director, IIHMR Delhi

The Indian Institute of Health management Research (IIHMR) is among the pioneer institutes in the country providing exclusive courses in the field of health management at its campuses in Jaipur, Bengaluru and Delhi. The institute offers MBA, PG Diploma and PhD courses to train efficient managers in the healthcare sector. Highlighting the need for good management in running healthcare institutions Dr. Lakhwinder P Singh, Director, IIHMR, Delhi, says , “According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the field of health care management is expected to grow 22 per cent between 2010 and 2020. This industry will expand and diversify, requiring managers to help ensure smooth business operations. What makes this field most attractive is the fact that students don’t necessarily need a science or medicine background to enter the healthcare sector as managers.” The term, medical and health services manager, applies to those professionals who plan, direct, coordinate and supervise the delivery of health care. “More and more institutions are now preferring to employ management grads for these roles as involving MBBS doctors in management roles is being recognised not only as a waste of a good clinician’s skills but also increases ad hocism as most qualified doctors learn managerial skills through hit-and-trial method”, adds Dr Singh. The students can get employed as consultants, assistant hospital managers, coordinators, district project managers, block coordinators with National Rural Health Mission, Integrated Child Development Scheme and state-level health bodies.

The MBA and PG diploma courses are approved by AICTE and apart from management subjects, students are also acquainted with the role of technology and computers in healthcare institutes. The students have to undergo training at the end of the first year and in the second year the students have to undergo a three-month training to write a dissertation and work on a problem in real life situation while working with a organisation. “So out of the two years as many as five months are devoted to training and practical work and this is what makes the students completely job ready because of which our institute gets 100 per cent placement record”, says Dr Singh. — GV