Spotlight

The Apollo Touch

The 290-bed Apollo Hospital, Bilaspur is the first and largest corporate hospital for the state of Chhattisgarh. Rita Dutta tells you how Apollo carried out its make-over step by step to make it a healthcare destination of choice

Almost eight years after its birth as a state, healthcare facilities for the 20 million people of the state of Chhattisgarh (CG), earlier a part of Madhya Pradesh, continues to remain woefully inadequate. For this state besieged with naxal insurgency, malaria, malnutrition and sickle cell disease, the public healthcare is crippled with lack of basic medicine and dearth of manpower.

While private healthcare has forayed in the state capital Raipur and the steel hub Bhilai, in form of Apollo BSR in Bhillai and Modern Medical Institute, Ramkrishna-Care and a PPP in Escorts Heart Centre in Raipur, it is interesting to note that the first and largest corporate hospital of the state (Apollo Hospital) is in its second largest town— Bilaspur. Situated on the banks of river Arpa, Bilaspur is known for its aromatic Doobraj rice and handloom-woven colourful soft Kosa silk.

The Hospital

"The bed occupancy has increased from 53 per cent in 2001 with 150 beds to 73 per cent in 2008-2009 with 290 beds" - Dr VR Ramanan CEO and DM Apollo Hospital Bilaspur

"So far, we have treated 83 poor children under Chief Minister Child Heart Protection Programme" - Dr AK Gupta Medical Administrator Apollo Hospital Bilaspur

The 290-bed Apollo Hospital, spread over a sprawling 19-acre campus at Lingiadih village in Seepat Road, holds the distinction of not only catering to 19 lakh population of Bilaspur, but also serving medical needs of the entire state. It is a destination of choice as it offers quality care and is always at the forefront of technology and innovation. It has to its credit, the first Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis, angiography, angioplasty and Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy in CG. (For innumerable other techniques that it has pioneered, see box on next page)

Besides catering to the 80,000 employees of South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL, which constitutes 50 per cent patient inflow, its patient base is also from the corporate tie-ups with NTPC and South Eastern Central Railways. Patients from other district also flock to the hospital. And despite the fact that the nearest airport is 130 kilometers away at Raipur, good railway connectivity has resulted in good access to Apollo Hospitals, Bilaspur.

The Genesis

In mid 90s, (SECL), a subsidiary of the state-owned Coal India Limited (CIL), constructed a 150-bed hospital (ground plus three floors) at the present campus only for its employees. However, years after completing the Rs 25-crore- project, SECL could not kick start the hospital because of lack of manpower and skill-set required in starting and managing a hospital. During the same time, Dr Prathap Reddy, Chairman of Apollo Group, was looking for establishing a foothold in central India.

It was the then CM of CG Ajit Jogi, who was keen on getting world class healthcare in CG, who led the initiative in getting the SECL hospital operational by inviting Apollo. Thus in March 2001, SECL inked an MoU with Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited to upgrade, operate and manage its hospital. So, while the land and building belong to SECL, Apollo recruits its own staff and doctors and purchases the equipment. As per the MoU, Apollo has to give discounted treatment to all SECL employees.

The Apollo Touch

Apollo is responsible for its complete make-over. Says Dr VR Ramanan, CEO and DM, Apollo Hospital, Bilaspur, "Apollo completely overhauled the hospital project, by bringing in major changes in the designing and architecture, be it in OT, ICU to various rooms and wards." For instance, Apollo had to completely re-do the air-conditioning as the hospital was not centrally air-conditioned. Only some rooms like VIP room and OT had ACs. Besides, the makeover, Apollo was successful in recruiting experienced medical and non-medical staff, both locally and from other states. After the complete overhaul, which cost another Rs 16 crore, in October 23, 2001, the modern tertiary care hospital commenced its services. Ajit Jogi and Ram Vilas Paswan, then Union Minister of Coal and Mines, inaugurated the refurbished hospital.

Riding on Steady Growth The hospital has shown steady growth in terms of increase in bed strength, patients and turnover. From 150 beds in 2001 to 290 beds at present, the built up area of the hospital now stands at three lakh square feet. “The bed occupancy has increased from 53 per cent in 2001 with 150 beds to 73 per cent in 2008-2009 with 290 beds. The yearly number of CABG has risen from 13 in 2001 to 62 in 2008-2009," says Dr Ramanan. Today, the hospital has 600 employees, including 30 fee-for-service consultants. Services like laundry, house keeping, F&B, transport and security are outsourced.

Rapid growth also meant better reach. So, in 2007, Apollo Hospitals, Bilaspur extended its services by launching a city clinic in the heart of Bilaspur city near CMD Chowk on Link Road. Spread over an area of 5,000 square feet, this primary care set-up is equipped with round the clock nursing, doctors, pharmacy, ambulance and an OT. Patients requiring further referrals are sent to Apollo Hospital, Bilaspur.

Medical Milestones

The procedures that it has introduced for the first time in Chattisgarh are: CAPD. Angiography. Angioplasty. CRRT. Total arterial revascularisation surgery. Telemedicine introduced for the first time in Chhattisgarh. Modern retinal laser surgery machine installed. Treated over than 540 Falciparum malaria patients with multi-organ failure.

New Initiatives

In an attempt to increase the inflow of patients, the hospital has constituted a business development cell. Two executives have been appointed for this purpose. "Besides the existing tie-ups, we are exploring ways of getting more cash patients," says Dr Ramanan.

A quality department has also been formed for helping the hospital get NABH. "We have already done a gap analysis using Apollo staff. We are working towards getting NABH by the next financial year," says Dr Ramanan.

A tie-up with CG Government to treat children with cardiac problems under the 'Chief Minister Child Heart Protection Programme' has made the hospital come in the limelight. "So far, we have treated 83 poor children under this scheme," says Dr AK Gupta, Medical Administrator, Apollo Hospital, Bilaspur. Under this scheme, the Government identifies children requiring cardiac surgeries and sends them to nearby good private hospitals for surgeries against a payment.

The Challenges

View of the dialysis unit

A snapshot of the lobby

Beneficiaries of Chief Minister Child Heart Protection Programme

It is not possible to imagine a hospital running without challenges in a district where development started only five years back— that too from what was just a forest land. "People from outside the state are still reluctant to come to Bilaspur. Hence, it's difficult to hire and retain good talent. It's only brand Apollo and the working exposure and experience culture here that attracts people to work here," says Dr Ramanan. Close proximity to nature, though soothing to the eyes and the mind, also means that the campus has occasional visits from snakes and phythons from nearby jungles.

The HR department needs a special mention here for playing a pivotal role in motivating staff and creating an atmosphere of camaraderie among staff. Says Kuldeep Chaturvedi, AGM-HRD, Apollo Hospital, Bilaspur, "To keep the nurses (who are mostly Malayalis) happy and motivated, every week we organise Malayali movie screening for them, followed by cuisine of their choice."

Various notice boards in the hospital display photographs of hospital employees smiling at you. One such picture was that of a security guard who catches pythons that enter the campus from nearby jungles, another of an employee with his newly-wed wife and another of a young daughter of an employee, who came out with flying colours in her exams.

The Road Ahead

Education is a priority for the group. In its second year for DNB in family medicine, the hospital is applying for DNB in anaesthesia, surgery, medicine, paediatrics and gyanaecology. It plans to start a course for paramedics also, leveraging on Apollo's tie-up with IGNOU.

But the buzz in the campus right now is of Apollo College of Nursing, which would offer BSc nursing for 60 students. A complete wing, spread over 20,000 square feet, has been designed for this purpose. The classrooms are equipped with all sorts of reading materials and mannequins. There is an interesting community learning class. "We are just waiting for approval from Indian Nursing Council," says Dr Gupta.

For an area where renal failure is acute, merely having a haemodialysis centre is not enough. So, in the pipeline is a renal transplant unit. "We would start training our staff for that soon," says Dr Ramanan. It would also complete its oncology care by starting radiation oncology with a linear accelerator. It is working on various models for acquiring that. "We would want somebody else to install it here, which we would use on rent," informs Dr Ramanan.

Using Bilaspur as a hub, Dr Ramanan is toying with the idea of starting three more city centres- the likes of the one in CMD Chowk in other districts (like Raipur, Kobra and Raigardh) of the state. "These centres would be manned by 24-hour doctors, pharmacy and nurses and would have regular visits from doctors from Apollo Hospital, Bilaspur," informs Dr Ramanan.

With further development of the state, the time may not be far when Apollo Hospital, Bilaspur would be competing with not just with other healthcare groups of CG, but with other Apollo behemoths in Chennai and Hyderabad in medical excellence. Sounds ambitious? Maybe not, considering that Chennai and Hyderabad were virgin territories too, before Apollo unfurled its flag!

rita.dutta@expressindia.com