Friday 26 June 2015

THE VALUE OF VACCINATION

                                     


Mary Oliver once said, “What is it that you plan on doing with your wild and precious life?” Dr. Mathuram Santhosham is  the most appropriate person to answer this question since his long list of credentials spoke volumes about his dedication to immunization and child health. 


Sir started off with a brief introduction about the importance of vaccination and its power to prevent the suffering of a child. He suggested the use of vaccines over antibiotics since vaccines have the potential to not only save lives but also the family at large.

Dr. Santosham kept the enthusiastic minds captivated by describing the journey of vaccinology, right from variolation during the Ming Dynasty to the discovery of the smallpox vaccine by Edward Jenner and the progress that immunization has made over the years. 
While various social benefits – which included herd protection, strengthening of the health system and reduction of health inequalities – were further discussed by him in detail, the risks it could possibly pose to health were also described. Sir also shared some insights on the negative hype over the effects of vaccinations which led to their discontinuation.

Dr. Santosham believes that healthy children of today will lead to healthy adults tomorrow and this will ensure a healthy future for our country. He explained that vaccinations, however, are a double edged sword. There are 3 sides to them, the GOOD – Disease prevention, the BAD – Adverse reactions and the UGLY –Controversies arising from it. These controversies need to be dealt with in a rational manner as the benefits of vaccination greatly outweigh the risks. 
In spite of the humungous advances in the field of medicines and the development vaccinations, today, 1.5 million children die every year from vaccine preventable diseases. This number is almost equivalent to 8 jumbo jets crashing per day. He left the audience with this thought urging them to think of the future of the same in our country and encouraging them to make a sincere effort to work for equal immunization privileges for children all over the country.


Guest Lecture Committee
MBA HHM Batch 2015-17 

Tuesday 23 June 2015

AMREF Students on Study Tour @ Symbiosis

Amref Health Africa has over 54 years’ experience in health development. In 1957, three surgeons founded the Flying Doctors Service of East Africa, laying the foundation for what is now one of the continent’s leading health development and research organisations. Today, Amref Health Africa implements its projects through country programmes in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Senegal, South Sudan and South Africa. Training and consulting support are provided to an additional 30 African countries.


Amref Health Africa believes that by focusing on the health of women and children, the health of the whole community can be improved. We are concerned with skilled care of mothers before, during and after childbirth; prevention and treatment of cervical cancer, and proper management of childhood illnesses. Our main areas of intervention are maternal and child health; HIV and Tuberculosis; safe water and sanitation; malaria; and essential clinical care.
Amref Health Africa shares knowledge gained from our grassroots programmes with others, and uses it as evidence to advocate appropriate change in health policy and practice. In all our programmes, Amref Health Africa partners with communities, civil society organisations, health practitioners, and the private and public sectors to establish a participatory health care system



 The students are here at SIHS to get exposure to Indian healthcare Systems.



Monday 22 June 2015

International Yoga day@Lavale



It was a wonderful Saturday afternoon. We the students of SIHS , MBA HHM  batch 2015-2017 were all waiting for the college buses in our SB campus.With colourful track pants and more colourful sports shoes( girls are more in number you see!!  ), We are all very excited. We were all going to the lavale campus  for the yoga day celebration and of course for some refreshing air. Under the supervision of the faculty , two buses filled with excited students headed towards Lavale at 1:35 pm. The journey was thrilling. We sang songs all the while, laughed to our hearts content and finally reached lavale.

As mesmerizing as it is always, the chills of the hills welcomed us. We were then taken into a hall with our respected dean Dr Rajiv Yervadekar.After a couple of running activities , we were all finally settled with a yoga mat. It was followed by a wonderful session by Dr Rajiv Yervadekar. He elaborated to
us the significance of the yoga day. For the next 30 minutes there was a meditation session.As the cold breeze of the hills swayed, we were all in the wave of self realization and mindfulness. It felt awesome.This was followed by another interactive session .it was fun filled and enriching.We had a
small sample of "India's got talent" where few of our classmates sang, danced and so on..It was break from the routine and a perfect stress buster.

After this we had 45 minutes of sightseeing. We went to the nearest canteen and ate the hot and spicy "chaats" .We then clicked loads and loads of pictures and even more "selfies"!!All we could here was "say cheese”!!” arrey ! mai bhi”!! “ye pic mast aaya  na”!!:). Adding to this there was a light drizzle of rain and 

Lavale hills looked its best during the rains!!!  Everything was so perfect!! Light drizzling rain, cold breeze and such natural beauty! Someone had rightly quoted" if there is heaven on earth , Lavale would definately be one of it"  . None of us wanted to leave.But the time was up. At 5:30 pm we all boarded back from Lavale to SB road.On the whole it was an enriching  ,funfilled  experience!! We all returned with memories in our heart,  a smiles on our faces and a hope to visit the mesmerizing hilltop again!! 






Ms. Rachan C Hegde

MBA HHM 2015-17 

Wednesday 10 June 2015

MBA HHM 2015-17 Batch Induction

Day 1 – 2nd June 2015

Symbiosis Institute of Health Sciences, a constituent of Symbiosis International University welcomed its 2015-2017 MBA - Hospital and Healthcare Management Batch on 2nd June 2015 in the Vishwabhavan Auditorium located at the S.B. Road campus. The upcoming Managers of Health Care Industry along with their parents gathered in the auditorium and the morning air was thick with hopes and aspirations.
The session started with registration and document verification of Students, which was followed by the Inaugural ceremony. The session was graced with eminent personalities from the industry along with the faculty members of SIHS. The introductory session helped the students gain familiarity with the various faculty and departments of SIHS.
The dignitaries arrived at 10:45 am and the team comprised of Dr. Rajiv Yeravdekar, Dean FoHBS; Dr. Clive Fernandes, Group CEO Wockhardt; Mr. Vishal Bali, CMD Medwell Ventures and Col. Dr. Vijay Deshpande (Retd), HOD – MBA(HHM).

The session was kicked off with the FoHBS film and an inspiring speech from Dr. Rajiv Yeravdekar. He really triggered our minds with his vision and mission statement – ‘Passion, Compassion and Innovation’ and it really gave us a sense of pride to be a part of this institute. This was followed by the lamp lighting. Although most of us were familiar with the lamp lighting tradition before ceremonies, for many of us this was the first time we witnessed the extremely innovative lighting of the “E-lamp”.
The guest lectures by Dr. Clive Fernandes and Mr. Vishal Bali really blew us away.
Dr. Clive Fernandes not only gave us a look at the current scenario in the Hospital industry but also explained why and how its impact on society is very crucial from a population growth point of view. Dr. Fernandes also gave us a lateral comparison of the Hospital industry against the Hotel and Airline industry, stating that the concepts in the industries can be directly pulled into the healthcare sector as well. For example, the idea of having a “Pilots checklist” before a flight can be equally useful for a surgeon before performing a procedure.
Mr. Vishal Bali gave us a very straightforward overview of the current status of the health industry. He gave us a clear cut look at the rising numbers in the health industry. He also discussed the rising need for healthcare in the country and how it is slowly becoming a norm. Additionally, he discussed the current trends in Healthcare, the impact of the rising aging population in the country, the changing approach to health insurance, the importance of Medical tourism, the shift from curative to preventive care and the trends of GDP allotment to Heath in countries across the world.
The Induction programme has been designed to give freshmen a glimpse of what to expect over the course of the programme and post course completion. The weeklong session from June 2nd to June 9th will see various professionals from industry and alumni of the college.
Day 2 – 3rd June 2015
§ Prof. Tilak addressed questions and solved queries regarding the pre-induction bridge course.

§ Col. Vijay Deshpande gave a brief overview of the industry and the importance of being a specialist versus being a generalist. He also introduced the topic of Medical Tourism, its importance and scope, the involvement of a health care manager in the field and his thoughts on how Medical Tourism can be promoted.

§ Dr. Ashish Banerjee gave an overview of Management in the Hospital Industry. He provided deep insights into the daily challenges and difficulties faced by managers in a Hospital Industry and the commitment required from such a person. He gave us pointers various topics like customer relations, conflict resolution between departments and vendor negotiation to name a few. The most invaluable point of this session was Dr. Banerjee giving us his own life experiences and pointers on to handle the various pressures of the job.

§ Mr. Nitin Kamerkar – Vice President, Ohum – gave an overview of IT in the Healthcare sector. He spoke to us about the trend changes in the industry and the relation between healthcare and IT. He also gave us an overview of data management, analytics and most importantly the emergence of telemedicine.

§ Mr. Mandar Bhagwat gave us an overview of the Pharma sector. He covered the topics of Regulatory Affairs, the Clinical Establishment Act, the concept of “Theranostic” drugs, the trend in the pharma market and the shift of focus from “illness” to “wellness”.

Day 3 – 4th June 2015
§ Dr. Ashok Dayalchand, Director, Institute of Health Management, Pachod; gave an in depth look at the Public Health and NGO sector. He discussed primary health care and how all over the world various policies have been developing over the years to ensure essential healthcare services at affordable prices. He discussed the National Health policy, the structure of health centers and hospitals in rural areas, the RCH1 and RCH2 policies, the NRHM and the Millennium Developmental goals developed by the UN. Also discussed was how NGO’s come into play in the whole structure. Most importantly discussed was the shift in mindset which led to the shift in various policies (eg. The shift from ‘population control’ to ‘family welfare’ as seen in the RCH1 program) and the evolution of the Indian Public Health Standard.
§ Lecture by Dr. Abhay Saraf, Head –Scope and Academics, SCHC; on Distance Education Courses provided.
§ Lecture by Dr. Ashish Phulkar and his team RWC regarding Gym, Wellness, Sports and Health facilities at SIU.

Day 4 – 5th June 2015
§ Prof. Azhar Khan provided an introduction to Health Care Economics. He explained the link and relationship between Health, Economics and the various social sciences, and how economics holds its own position therein. He brought into light private and public financial provisions and the issues arising with the government sector and how its involvement sometimes proves detrimental to the system if not regulated properly.


§ Mr. Mohan Nair, (CMD) Next Gen solutions, gave an overview of Medical Devices. It was an interactive session on the growing trends in the healthcare industry and the future of the healthcare segment in Preventive healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Imaging Diagnostics, Tele-Medicine, etc. He stated that the healthcare industry is a sector which will continue to grow by leaps and bounds in the near future with wonderful career opportunities for the health managers.

§ Ms. Devika Shetty held an interactive Business Communication session. It was an interesting break from the other sessions as it was an energetic, fun-filled session which focused on the need for good communication skills in any professional in today’s day and age. The main take-away from this session was the “ABC” essential for manager – A - Attitude / Appearance, B - Behaviour, C- Communication.

§ Dr. Sandeep Salvi prepared a session on the importance of Research in Healthcare. He discussed how innovation is the need of the hour and how realization, observation, the thirst to know more, curiosity and a mind open to possibilities is very essential for anyone who wanted to make a change. He cited various famous scientists including Newton and Fleming as examples of how these values can lead to tremendous success and how knowledge, courage and tenacity can help make a difference in the world.

Day 5 – 6th June 2015
§ Mr. Sainath Iyer, President, Emcure; was to give us an overview of Pharmacy sector in Heath Management. However, he provided a thought provoking session on identifying our passion, staying focused on our goals and how we should spend each day working towards it. Though it was to be a talk on Pharmacy, he solely insisted on having us realize that we should get our priorities and choices right today.

He rightly said, as we sow, we reap! He also discussed the various skills required in the growing Pharmaceutical industry and the various career opportunities available. However, the most important point he brought to light was that although ‘jobs’ are available everywhere, ‘careers’ are not. We have to groom ourselves the right way and prove that we are different for the crowd to make a difference. He rightly said, being an MBA doesn’t make a difference unless you can prove you are worthy of the title.
§ Mr. Abishek Prathap Singh, Associate Director, PWC; shed light on the various arms of consultancy. He explained what exactly consultancy involved and what qualities were needed in an individual taking up such a position. While he did explain how consultancy is an ever evolving field he also gave us some sound advice saying how important it is to have extensive knowledge in the sector and the need for training and experience before taking up a consultants job in the healthcare industry.

§ Ms. Ketaki Soman – Alumni of SIHS gave an explanatory session on the role of IT in the healthcare segment and the various profiles offered in the Healthcare IT industry.

§ Mrs. Sonia Basu – Alumni of SIHS. She gave us a mind - blowing session on healthcare management in hospitals and explained the flip side of the coin stating that it is not only our managerial skills that matter in the field but also how we need qualities such as empathy and dedication. Dr. Basu also gave us her own life examples of how time management, defining priorities and constantly bettering yourself will provide you with the strength and precision needed to carry out such a demanding job. She stressed on how constant reading and always having an open mind will not make you a better manager but a better person. It was an informative, interactive, and enlightening session on what is truly required to be a successful manager.

Day 6 – 8th June 2015
The days schedule was mainly a trip to the main SIU Campus at Lavale. The bus left at 10 am from the S.B. Road campus to Lavale for the induction and introductory session. The session was a combined session with students from 4 other verticals of SIU, namely SIBM – P, SIMC, SITM, SSBF and finally us from SIHS. The introduction gave us an overview of the vision of SIU and a description of the powerhouse of exposure that it is.
This session was graced by the dignitaries of SIU – Dr. S.B. Mujumdar, Founder President SIU; Dr. Vidya Yeravdekar, Principal Director, SIU; Dr. Rajani Gupte, Vice Chancellor, SIU; and other Directors of SIBM, SIMC, SITM, SSBF and SIHS.
§ Dr. Rajani Gupte, Vice Chancellor SIU, gave us a brief overview of the campus, its many facilities and the many upcoming projects undertaken by SIU including the water harvesting and waste management. She also brought into light the many academic related initiatives available such as the training and research centre, the entrepreneurship department and the Symbiosis Institute of Research and Innovation. She encouraged us to take initiative and make the most of the wealth of knowledge and exposure provided to us and to collaborate with the various other entities of SIU for projects.

§ Dr. Vidya Yeravdekar, Principal Director, SIU; explained to us the importance of skills and training in the industry and about how it is important to look at various other opportunities for collaboration not only within our choice of sector but also with the various other departments of SIU. She also stressed on the importance of interacting and keeping in touch with the students from various other cultures and countries as it is important to have an open mind for collaboration and to understand their cultures.

§ Dr. Mujumdar, Chancellor and Founder, SIU; gave us a very insightful talk, not on the various provisions that SIU gives us, but on how it is important for us to make the most of our time here. He stressed on 3 points – Health, and how it is our health that defines how well we will do in our career; Time, and how Management of time is crucial, even by the hour; and Academics, on how SIU is not a teaching university but a learning university. His advice to us was not just to use the campus, but to love the campus as well and the do our best to make a difference to it. The main take-away from his talk was “Transform to Perform”. It is important for us to groom ourselves in such a way that makes us better people. Placements do not come to you because of you’re a student of SIU, but as a consequence of your personality and determination.

§ The Officials of SIU were introduced to the students.

§ The afternoon session back at SIHS was conducted by Dr. Prashaant Ghatge from Bajaj Allianz who gave us an Introduction to the Insurance sector in India and its relation to Healthcare. The main points covered by Dr. Ghatge were the importance of Insurance in both - the health and general sector, Health Insurance Driving factors, Risk management, TPAs and the Porter’s 5 forces Analysis 

Compiled By: 

Abigail Pais 
Shahin Basheer C
MBA HHM  Batch 2015-17