Time Out

The Benevolent Dictator

The leader of Fortis- Escorts Jaipur, Dr Praneet Kumar, COO was once upon a time a leader in playing pranks, who simulated fainting, just to teach his senior a lesson! There are many shades to his personality, which you do not know

'The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep…
Robert Frost, Poet

It is this philosophy that Dr Praneet Kumar, COO-Fortis Jaipur, lives by that makes him constantly set new benchmarks. Many of us as kids want to either become doctors or engineers, but as time moves on, so do our dreams! Rare are people who pursue their dreams single-handedly and are even ready to put all other interests in the backseat. That was the case with Dr Kumar, "I was quite an all-rounder. I used to participate in almost all kinds of activities be it sports, theatre, debates or writing. But, later I started withdrawing my attention from all the extra-curricular activities because I wanted to be a top surgeon and completely focused towards studies," recollects Dr Kumar. A writer, a photographer, a gardener, a doctor and now a promising leader in one of the fastest growing healthcare chains in India. That's Dr Kumar in a nutshell. If you are one of those kinds who believe that doctors are quite 'boring' and uni-dimensional, you are bound to be proven wrong, when you come across a colorful personality like him! He pursued his MBBS from Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College, Meerut in the year 1977. He started his career at Employee State Insurance (ESI) Hospital, New Delhi where he joined as an intern in 1978 and later also worked as a Registrar in Surgery. He continued working at ESI till 1982 and thereafter, he started his own clinic. Later, he completed his post graduation in Hospital Administration in 1985 from New Delhi Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) Institute of Management Sciences, New Delhi. Further from 1986-88, he continued his clinical practice and simultaneously worked as a part time Project Manager at Khosla Hospital, New Delhi. In 1988, he left his clinical practice and started working as an Assistant Medical Superintendent and then as Acting Medical Superintendent at Moolchand Hospital, New Delhi.

Dr Praneet Kumar with his family

As a boss, he is a self-confessed disciplinarian and very authoritative, "I like to have things in place and order. Indiscipline is not pardonable for me and I am quite a perfectionist." But he also feels that even though he is strict, he is still quite approachable. "Anyone can walk into my cabin and address any issue he/she wants to. As a boss, I identify the caliber of a person and set expectations about the work but at the same time like a friend I would give them guidance as to what they can do to improvise and polish their skills," adds Dr Kumar. They say that a 'doctor always marries a doctor!' And so is the case with him. His wife Dr Madhu (48) is an Anesthesiologist and Critical Care Specialist at ESI Hospital, New Delhi. "I always wanted to marry a doctor because I believed that if my partner belongs to the same profession then we would understand each other better, especially when it comes to professional issues," shares Dr Praneet. His son Sitanshu (24) is currently based in California where he works as a Verification Engineer and daughter Saumya (21) is pursuing her B-Tech in Electronics and Communication from Bharati Vidyapeeth, New Delhi. But, if you think this disciplinarian is 'all serious and no fun' then you would be surprised to know that he was one of the most mischievous brat who played a lot of pranks. "Once during a football match between our seniors and our team, a senior just pushed me. I just immediately acted as if I had fainted and spread panic all across the school, just to give that senior a lesson. After that incident, his behaviour changed drastically with me," he laughs. Shifting focus to his varied interests, his topmost passion is reading and writing. He has always been so fond of reading that as a kid he even spent his entire pocket money to buy books. The hand that fervently holds the scalpel is as passionate about holding the pen. "When I was in class six I used to write for two children magazines namely Parag and Milind wherein I wrote fiction stories which had a strong moral message." There was no inspiration as such for him getting into writing. "I got into reading books at a very young age and was always interested in the world of words. So my writing just started with the intention that even I should try my hand at it," he reminisces. Legendary writers like Munshi Premchand, William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy are some of his favorite authors. Some of his favorite books are 'The Maid of Chester Bridge' by Thomas Hardy and 'The Merchant of Venice' by William Shakespeare. "I like these classics as they are a source of inspiration that add value to life," says Dr Kumar. He also likes reading the Reader's Digest and India Today. "But now I don't find much time to read, but as far as writing goes, I have started a blog titled 'changeindia4good.blogspot.com' wherein I can voice opinions about matters close to my heart." As the title of the blog suggests -'Change India For Good' he aims to create social awareness. "I want to be catalyst of change for a better India and this way, even I want to contribute towards improvement of the current dispensation in any small way that is possible." Moving beyond pen and paper, his next favourite is photography. "I got inclined towards it in my mid twenties, I liked capturing landscapes. Photography is a way of relaxation and is quite creative as well," shares Dr Kumar. His list of leisure pursuits is not yet over. When he was placed at Moolchand Hospital, he developed the hobby of gardening where he had a huge lawn. "I adore plants and gardening is another source of relaxation and it's quite economical too. Rose and Dahlia are my favourite flowers." Talking about weekend activities, Sundays are meant for spending quality time with family. "Since my family is currently based in Delhi, I try spending time with them over the weekend. I might schedule my meetings in such way that I can be with my family on Sundays," states Dr Kumar.

When it comes to music he is quite an oldie, as he loves listening to old Hindi film songs. "Some of my all time favorite singers are Kishore Kumar, KL Saigal and Pankaj Mullick. I am not much into films and as a matter of fact my work keeps me so occupied that there is hardly any time for me to go for movies. The last film I saw was 'Chak De India' and that too because my son forced me to watch it before he was leaving for the US. But it was indeed a good movie." Leaving aside his business plans here we take him down memory lane to share some of his deep-seated memories.

The Mixed Bag:

The best prize in life so far

The fellowship that I won in 1999 by International Hospital Federation. As a part of this fellowship, I was sent to Hong Kong to study effectiveness of healthcare delivery for six weeks.

The first time you fired someone

It happened at Moolchand Hospital where I fired a pharmacist because his attitude towards his customer was rude.

The best childhood memory

I was a leader of pranksters because I played lot of pranks on everyone in school and also ensured that I was never caught red handed!

Your happiest moment

My happiest moment was when my daughter was born. Actually I wanted my first child to be a girl, but it didn't happen that way. So, at the birth of my daughter, I was very happy as my wish was granted by the almighty.

Three things you cannot do without

My blackberry is one such thing that is just unavoidable, especially when you have many things to take care of at the same time. Having discipline around is important for me because I want people around me to be methodical and things should be in place. I also have a habit of reading before going to bed.

One trait you would like to change about yourself

I should try not being impatient. When I expect something from someone and if I am let down on that, I become impatient.

One parental advice that you follow

I was always taught by my parents to realise your own mistakes and rectify them before someone else points it out to you.

Your first vehicle

I bought Bajaj scooter in 1985 from my own earnings.

Later in the 1988 I bought a second hand Fiat and then in 2005, I bought a Chevrolet Optra.

One thing you like to do the most

I like cooking. Now that I stay away from my family I prepare dinner for myself after returning from work.

Nancy Singh
Priti Pathak