Srividya Palaparthi By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Do what you love, and you’ll never have to work a day. An adage that seems like a millenial cliche but is the mantra which Dr Bollineni Bhaskar Rao, chief cardio thoracic surgeon and Managing Director of KIMS Group of Hospitals, is swearing by for decades now. With the recent award that they recieved as the “Best Hospital to Work at” at the AHPI Global COnclave 2019, it only proves the effort it takes to make that happen. As his staff briefed us before we went in to chat with Dr Bhaskar, he is a professional through and through and arrives at the hospital early at 7 am and plays the role of a doctor and an administrator in perfect balance all day. One glance at his cabin tells you that he is a devotee of Lord Ganesha, with decorative idols all over the place and a chant in his name playing in the background. We settle down for a freewheeling chat with him... Success as an entrepreneur As a child, his personal experiences led him to choose the field of medicine. His sister who suffered with a heart issue led him to pursue a specialisation in cardio. Evidently he takes his profession very seriously. After working with a corporate hospital, he was conflicted with the superficiality of how they function. He moved to a trust-led hospital where he along gained reputation to perform surgeries at low costs. It wasn’t long before he decided to create a multi-speciality hospital in Hyderabad. “There wasn’t any hospital that catered to a person’s entire anatomy. My goal was to set up a centre that treats patients comprehensively,” he asserts. Joining hands with other capable colleagues of his own, he started his own medical centre with KIMS which today has 26 specialties under one roof.Dr Bhaskar believes that his success lies in foresight. “Most entrepreneurs use the capital and the funding they have towards expansion and development. But any business particularly in the medical field will see a dip about five or seven years into its inception. We made sure that we set aside 20% of every budget as “loss funding”. This would keep us afloat during the dreary times, at least until we get back onto our feet,” advices the surgeon. Professional conflict a non-issue For a man of medicine to involve himself in the nitty gritties of money and administration might seem tedious for some but for this doctor it supports his profession. “I perform surgeries everyday. I am still very much the doctor I was despite heading the office. In fact this role helps me provide for the patients and the staff what they require because I know both sides of the coin. As a doctor, I can perform surgeries and save the life of the person on my table. And as an administrator I can enable my staff and the doctors in it to put forth their best to save many more lives,” he explains. Dr Bhaskar and his staff diligently study paperwork to understand cases better and discuss everyday how a certain procedure could’ve been done better or with lesser damage if any. What’s more, the hospital is the first in the twin states to be awarded the Green Operation Theatre certification. Your health your responsibility As a layman, our view of the medical industry is a little skewed. We believe that the money they charge us for our health is unfair. Dr Bhaskar has a simple answer to that. “Quality costs money,” he says explaining, “To treat one ailment of a patient it requires human resources, skill of a doctor, infrastructure, equipment and medicines. And this comes with a cost even to us. Unless your doctors are paid fairly, have the required man-power, and unless we use the sterile environment or the advanced equipment we won’ be able to give you the treatment you should be recieving.”Having said that he also stresses on the need to invest on medical insurance. “All it takes is a cup of coffee,” he says. “It costs about `10 twice a day for the coffee you drink everyday. Invest the same on insurance. About `7200 per year will get you a cover on your health. We are averse to spending `500 on health insurance every month. But that will lead you to spend a lot more than that if ever there was an emergency. Even if the insurance doesn’t cover everything, it saves some money for you and having that foresight is worth it,” he concludes with a stern advice. Buying ailments Dr Bhaskar Rao jests that we buy ailments and diseases but are disgruntled at spending for healthcare. Quiz him and he lists out how we buy ailments: n Drinking alcohol n Smoking n Eating junk n Sedentary lifestyle n Erratic sleep and meal schedules — Srividya Palaparthi srividya.palaparthi@newindianexpress.com @PSrividya53

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