Choices in healthcare industry

Pankaj Gupta

The biggest gain for the healthcare sector from 2018 was the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), which the government claims will create over 1,00,000 new jobs in India’s $ 62 billion hospital sector alone. According to the IBEF, India also increased its doctor count to 8,41,104 in 2017. Apart from increased health consciousness, the burden of lifestyle diseases and rising incomes, healthcare will continue to see increased demand driven by beneficiaries of the PMJAY. 

But healthcare personnel need not all be specialists in technical fields. There are various administrative and management roles that ordinary graduates can train themselves  to fill. Given below is a list of some of the most sought-after careers in this booming industry:

1. Assistant Medical Superintendents/ Deputy Medical Superintendents: They ensure high standards of patient care and work to deliver on service quality standards along with defining and implementing Performance Parameters for Doctors. They are experts in implementing and adhering to Standard Operative Procedures in all Clinical Specialties, conducting regular Medical Audits on an ongoing basis etc. They work to ensure that proper standard operative procedures are in place for the efficient admission, care and discharge of patients.  

Apart from a basic medical qualification as mentioned in the third schedule of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, a candidate needs a Master’s in Hospital Administration or MBA in Healthcare Management to be eleigible for this role.

2.Hospital Operations/Hospital Administrators: Health administrators are responsible for safeguarding smooth operation of a hospital, hospital system or healthcare organisation. As the backbone of healthcare systems, healthcare administrators take on the responsibilities of supervising vast expanses of medical personnel. They work behind the scenes to make all types of health care facilities work as efficiently as possible and can work on hiring doctors, developing budgets, coming up with new policies and patient services etc. 

One requires a master’s in Healthcare/Hospital Administration or an MBA in Healthcare Management for this role.

3.Bio-Medical Waste Management expert: The Ministry of essential & climate change, raised the BMW Rules on March 28, 2016, through a gazette notification stating that every health care facility is mandated to segregate and dispose off bio-medical waste. There is an imminent need to increase awareness & training/ capacity building of the different categories of health functionaries in the safe disposal of bio-medical waste from the hospitals and health centres. 

One requires a master’s in Healthcare/Hospital Administration or an MBA in Healthcare Management for this role.

4.Patient safety & quality management coordinators: These people guide staff within the hospital and seek to improve the quality of patient care through assurance and innovation in partnership with local teams. The Patient Safety and Quality Coordinator, together with senior clinical and operational managers, is responsible for the implementation of patient safety and quality improvement initiatives. 

Degrees nursing, preferably with a master’s in healthcare management.

5.Managers/assistant managers at third-party administrators (TPAs): TPAs function as an intermediary between the insurance provider and the insured. One can join as a managers or assistant manager after a degree in healthcare management . These specialists work with medical records, coding and billing professionals, and insurance companies to ensure that the plan benefits are properly applied. 

Minimum educational  requirements are a master’s in Hospital Administration or Health Management.

6.District Programme Managers: This category of professionals is designated to the monitoring and planning of district health strategies, as in the National Rural Health Mission. 

A master’s in health/ human resources, healthcare is a mandatory requirement.

7.Consultants in International and National NGOs: NGO's working in the health sector is another job profile in this domain. 

One would require an MBBS and/or master’s in health services/healthcare.

8.Training coordinators: Training coordinators are responsible for training, mapping out training plans, designing and developing training programs. 

A minimum master’s degree in healthcare, public health or health services is required.

— The writer is President, IIHMR University, Jaipur