<div>Businessworld organised the Second Healthcare Summit on June 5 in New Delhi. It was attended by well-known doctors and professionals from the healthcare industry. Dr Nandakumar Jairam, chairman and group medical director of Columbia Asia Hospitals, shared his views on the industry with Haider Ali Khan.</div><div> </div><div>Jairam is a former professor and head of the Department of Surgery at St. John's Medical College Hospital, Bangalore. He is a renowned surgeon and popular teacher.</div><div> </div><div><strong>What is the way ahead for the private healthcare sector in India?</strong></div><div>The way forward for private players in India is very bright and the kind of response we are getting is tremendous. We are also operating overseas. The working atmosphere in India is good and we will improve it as much as we can.</div><div> </div><div><strong>Tell us about the expansion plans of Columbia Asia Hospitals?</strong></div><div>Expansion is always a welcome initiative and we are expanding keeping in mind of our resources and logistics. We are already in Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia, and preparing to widen our reach to other countries. In India, we are operating from 11 centres and we plan to expand to new cities.</div><div> </div><div><strong>How are advances in medical technology helping you?</strong></div><div>Like in other fields, we are improving with technology. There is innovation going on every single day and we in the healthcare industry need to be updated with these developments. There are many new technologies that have replaced outdated medical equipment. Today cloud computing has changed everything. We are evolving with this and all the data of our patients and management is being made available on cloud. Cloud is the next big thing and it will prove a bigger leap for all of us.</div><div> </div><div><strong>How do you cater to rural areas?</strong></div><div>We are only focusing on cities at present. I hope we will be able to provide healthcare in rural areas in the near future. But our focus remains on major cities and towns of India.</div><div> </div><div><strong>What are your areas of expertise?</strong></div><div>We at Columbia Asia Hospitals offer treatment in almost all medical branches. We have teams of well qualified doctors and good support staff to provide the best possible care to our patients.</div>
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