Medica Synergie aims to standardise healthcare

The aim is to design client hospitals in such a way that the operational costs of the hospitals come down by 30 per cent.

Medica chairman and managing director Alok Roy said the aim was to set for the first time, a transparent set of benchmarks in the category so that patients did not have to wait to meet doctors at hospital outdoors or after admittance, and did not receive shocks when billing took place.

Roy said the group had acquired properties in north Bengal and elsewhere and the business model was provoing effective in turning around these properties.

According to Ayanabh Debgupta, CEO - projects and consultancy, Medica Synergie, "We have put together a planning and designing team of 50 people to build cost-effective structures. Once the operational costs of hospitals come down, it is automatically passed on the patients. We guarantee that the costs will come down by 30 per cent. Most hospitals that we are designing will let us handle the everyday management also, where we can ensure that the benefits are passed on the patients."

Medica's project and consultancy group is two years old with 50 people, and aims to take its manpower strength to 300 by 2010. It is hoping to contribute close to Rs 300 crore in next three years to the overall Medica group turnover.

"The advantage that Medica Synergie has over any competitor, is that the doctors and architects have come together to build cost-effective structures. This helps, because, for instance, a pharmacist can understand best the inconveniences of the present-day pharmacies. So, taking inputs from people who are a part of the system, we can design more convenient and efficient hospitals," Debgupta added.

According to him, operational costs of hospitals can come down, if the design and planning is for more energy-efficient green buildings.

Medica Synergie, as a hospital chain, has four projects in the pipeline this year.

The projects and consultancy team is not only designing its own hospitals but have also bagged contracts for master planning seven district hospitals in Assam, three in Uttaranchal, and two in Orrisa, including Shankara Nethralaya in Kolkata, and Puri District Hospital in Orissa.

Currently, the designing team is working on 15 hospitals across the country, and plans to be pan-india by 2009. By 2010, the department plans to take up designing and planning contracts for around seven international hospitals in South East Asia, Africa and Gulf countries.

"We are the advisors to all the state governments for designing their hospitals. Around 70 per cent of hospitals in India are still government-run," Debgupta said.

The projects and consultancy wing of Medica Synergie helps its clients identify land as well as access breakeven time.

Another area of expertise for Medica Synergie is designing hospitals in sync with the basic patient flow matrix.

"Inter-departmental flow is one area we have to keep in mind while designing convenient hospitals. For instance, we have to consider how far the operation theatre is from the intensive-care-unit. Also, the reception of a hospital should be right next to the billing counter. Proper planning not only reduces patient irritation levels, but also ensures convenience for employees of the hospital," said Debgupta.