Interview with Ms. Kirti Golatkar, Founder of LifeKDesign

As part of the "In-Depth" Interview series, we bring to you a health practitioner who deals with mental health.  She is turned entrepreneur and hopes to reach out to maximum number of people who may be undergoing stress due to the uncertainty about the future, especially related to the Corona Pandemic where job losses have become common, incomes have been affected and there is chaos all around.

About : Ms Kirti Golatkar is a therapy practitioner for Access Consciousness, New Code NLP, Gestalt & Hypnotherapy through personal consultations has influenced her clients to bring about an impactful change with their life & work space balance.

She speaks passionately about her *Mission & Purpose*: "The curiosity of what works beyond logic to create the energies and magic & spread happiness to bring more and more people to meet the amazing person within them has brought me to this purpose and my mission of life."

Kirti is also contributing to the youth generation as a Consultant & Mentor for “Campus to Corporate Trainings” from her insights of serving the healthcare corporate industry for over two decades.

She has worked across Healthcare domain contributing to Patient Care projects in chronic conditions, Managing Brand services for Healthcare brands as well as leading Quality projects for Healthcare accreditation.

With academic background in Marketing Management (Mumbai), Healthcare Management (Delhi), Six Sigma, Goal Trainer IIPE affiliated certifications, she started her journey in the service of healthcare.  She strongly believes in bringing together her expertise of the corporate career and therapy consultation to be contributing & impacting lives as her mission now & has recently launched her own organisation with a team of experts at called ”Life K Design - Meet The Amazing You” as a promising destination for healthy mind, body & life balance.  It comes with a promise to reach out & bring about the transformation in every life choosing to explore their potential for peak performance & guide them to access their bliss with the shift for awareness  at any phase or stage of life. 

Visit us for more details & appointment on www.lifekdesign.com
 

Kirti, It is my immense pleasure and honour for Calibre Creators to be talking to an expert in the field of Mental Health, Soft Skills and a very popular Corporate Trainer.  Today, we will endeavour to touch upon topics of mental wellness and identifying one’s true potential by reaching out to the inner self.  I am sure our readers will greatly benefit from your insights.

 

CC.1    Kirti, please take us through your life’s journey so that we get to understand about your work?

KG:     My career journey began in Mumbai as a fresh graduate of Life Sciences from Mumbai University into Sales and Marketing in the Pharmaceutical industry about 2 decades ago & moved through different cities across India.  Beginning with niche speciality products at Abbott & thereafter through different pharma companies, and got into Healthcare branding & advertising after doing PG in Marketing Management from Welingkar Institute Mumbai in 2006-07. Covered almost major therapy segments (NeuroPsychiatry, Diabetes, Pain management Cardiovascular, Antibiotics, Gastro, General Medicine, Gynaecology, etc.)

To explore opportunities in the upcoming corporate hospitals booming in India as a mid-career break, I pursued Healthcare Management & Six Sigma at Delhi in 2012-13 & contributed as Retrospective Projects across Hospitals like Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani (KDAH) & Fortis Hospital for Medical services, administration & Quality Accreditation trainings.  This experience further helped me lead patient care projects in chronic lifestyle conditions like Cardiovascular, Diabetes, or chronic illness conditions as Liver care and Cancer where health outcomes mattered.  During interactions with patients regarding the treatment and cure rates, I always thought “why does the same condition, the same medicine work so differently in different patients?”

As I was thinking about my observations in the cancer care project, my own life diseases or illnesses during childhood where I had recovered from resistant conditions, accidental traumatic injuries & the turbulences of relations as well brought me to understand my own belief systems & transformations which guided & healed me.  I studied how these help achieve states of ease, joy, glory happening moving me away from the disease, sadness, or otherwise to be considered attempted efforts, I explored into my own journey of learning the wellness & happiness secrets which could be applied to my own patients.

As learning from every modality that worked on me embraced, encompassed & surpassed my own past life regressions and patterns through exploring bringing my altered state powered to me to bring “me” to “myself” first.  The next logical step was to meet “me’ along the journey as my mind had opened up to the learning’s from every modality from different philosophies across the globe and life.  I observed and practiced my own expansion & happiness, irrespective of any situation from within.  This also allowed my teachers and mentors from varied modalities as they kept appearing and handing over some tool for the life’s journey and learning’s ahead.

Thanks to all these beautiful life experiences, I found meaning from every turbulence in life, every relation, that has today blissfully joined hands to become a partner in life from within our own souls as we evolve & heal from every disease that transformed into life wellness to abundance with ease, joy and glory.

This brings me to successfully introduce about the name of my service to the Universe by the name of “Life-K-Design”, which we launched recently as a way to help each one of you “Meet The Amazing You”, through the practice of these philosophies for a healthy mind, body and life.


CC.2   You have dabbled in multiple professional activities and perhaps seem to have found your true calling in life.  Tell us a bit about how it happened.

KG:    There were incidents in my life which flash across my mind as a dream and it seems today that they have come to such beautiful closures after all the pain and agony that I underwent and I apply those experiences in healing others.

As I mentioned earlier, my life’s been a journey of illnesses, traumas, accidents, family turbulences and moving through cities, mid-career exploration into healthcare to now feeling the pulse of the patients whom I interact with and observe the changes that they too undergo.


CC.3   You now have established a mission and purpose in life.  It seems the need of the situation when people from all walks of life are facing unpleasant situations in their lives, either on  account  of anxiety due to joblessness, solitude, lack of clarity about the future, financial insecurity, etc.?
 
KG:   Yes change is constant so uncertainties of life have always been there. Today, we are facing it as a whole new bucket added among the bucket-list.  We had an inclination as to what may be coming in, but this time, pandemic is of such huge proportions which none of us has experienced.

What matters is being in the present state of mind and being conscious enough to manage any moment or any situation of life, what we today call as burnouts, addressed by re-engineering ourselves over and over through infinite energies.


CC.4   You have acquired multiple qualifications and skill sets.  What was your motivation behind them all?

KG:   Common thread that connected all my experiences from pharma to patient care was making me curious about the root cause.  This helped me to analyse how would a patient’s condition be resolved beyond reassurance counselling advice, lifestyle modifications and not yet arriving at the expected health outcomes.  It compelled me to study the different how’s affecting the outcomes.  This led me to certain curiosity resolutions; why even if the treatment and condition were same, the responses & outcomes were so varied?

For example, a patient not responding to treatment for several years of mental abuse or stress/trauma or chronic pain from across ages and phases of life.  I have seen that a young child or an adolescent, middle aged or even a senior citizen started responding during the sessions, accelerating the healing process in very few days which had not progressed over years. Every modality complemented with the other as per the needs of the case because all these studies and skills are meant to serve a single purpose, i.e. to find health.  The River to sea confluence, I believe is how each one chooses their own healing by way of self-awareness in discovering the inner healing powers and bring them to the fore, just the way I healed myself.


CC.5    Please tell us about transformations some of the your patients have undergone and have come back to tell you about them?
 
KG:     As I mentioned earlier in previous answers, people from every age, phase and stage of life have reported tremendous shifts in their life and work spaces post the therapies.


CC.6  How does one come to know that they are facing a life crisis?  What are the signs and symptoms?
 
KG:   Today, burnout is a condition as accepted sign and symptom seen commonly across all stages of professional and personal life.  It is a result of our surrounding, the environmental condition, fears and anxiety due to competition, fear of being left out in the rat race and this happens if one is not equipped to not cope with the stresses in work life balance.  Gradual or sudden decrease in enthusiasm to live in the present moment is the first sign of disease, followed by constant sadness and all the above mentioned fears, while at home or at workplace.  When you relate these conditions as an outcome of some insecurity or comparisons, lowering of your own self esteem, then one should seek the help of a psychotherapist.  Continuation of such condition may lead to helplessness, severe depression, guilt and decision to even take one’s own life.


CC.7  What are the causes of anxiety or fears a person experiences in life.  Are there any specific stages in life when a person undergoes through experiences?
 
KG:   Each one is gifted with in-built auto response mechanism to their respective environments, stimulus and situations.  However, not everyone is able to utilise that inherent capacity to the fullest or is not aware of how to cope with situations in their life.  This is where, they should consult our expert teams to bring about the necessary paradigm shift to root out the cause of anxiety at any stage or event of life.  Let our team help you find the amazing you that lies within, to find the blissful states irrespective of external environments since the source of happiness is within.

CC.8    How much of the stress and anxiety is contributed due to engagement on social media?

With my Community Workshop Participants 

KG:     As long as we can see the negative impact of social media on addiction over its benefit as a medium of knowledge, awareness and an instrument of communication, it is best to avoid prolonged exposure as it does a lot of damage to the young generation as most research studies on children are indicating today.

And that’s exactly how I strategized and built my own modules for business corporate trainings to improve peak performance by personality & confidence building and helping them to manage conflicts within than from the outside.  This equips individuals to be contributing to themselves first and to the organization, teams and family they belong, to be able to create that harmony and abundance with ease, joy and glory.

CC.9    In how many instances have patients come to you directly and how many have been referred to you by parents or friends?
 

With my Corporate Training Participants

KG:     People who have attended my community workshops, approach me directly and also refer their acquaintances and friends whom they know are going through similar condition and would certainly benefit as much as they have from consulting us.  Among them are children, adolescents couples, working professionals, senior citizens and rehabilitating patients going through all these stages and phases are looking for these feelings and bringing them to these altered state from within needs our guidance.  Patients have provided feedback that they have found happiness and love within their own self and now have improved relations with enhance feeling of compassion, feeling of being cared for and a sense of belongingness.


CC.10   What role does the family and friend’s support system play in the healing or transformation process?

KG:    They are the anchors as we bring every person to a state of heightened wellness as an individual and as a contributor of the Universe to connect under the frame within with we work, i.e. as #ConnectedCollaborativeConstructive individuals, with each one finding the state of happiness, from inside out.


CC.11   Every person on this earth, however powerful or satisfied may be, has worries and anxieties.  The severity may depend on the nature or cause of the person’s environment or nature of engagement.  Do you agree?

KG:     It depends on how evolved one is and the extent to which a person wants to look at the present moment, as past regrets and future is full of anxiety.  Therefore, we advise people to be in living in the presence (of the moment), to be “in the being”, and stay connected strongly with one’s self, from within and as infinite being of the universe.


CC.12   There is a social stigma attached to seeking help for mental illness or depression.  Your take.


KG:    There is no social stigma in present situation, as I have experienced entire family or all 3 generations of a family coming for resolution of their conditions as the patterns and belief systems are deep rooted from generation to generation. LifeKDesign is conducting community awareness workshops as well as school and campus touch points for awareness to come out of their shells wherever they feel so that they need to discuss with us and get it resolved and the response is overwhelming.  This indicates that people are now realising that timely help can help them nip the problem in the bid and that more and more people are in their search for living a life of fulfilment, happiness, contentment, of having no regrets of not having lived their life fully.  I would, however, say that the need is much bigger in the society as people go through all sorts of problems, the current COVID19 situation and its uncertainty about the future being a classic example in point.


CC.13   Tell us about your new initiative “LifeKDesign”.  What do you intend to achieve through it?
 
KG:     To create awareness among more and more people - individuals, families and as workplace teams in corporate to explore themselves, to realise their inner strengths, fulfil their potential and inherent gifts as infinite beings as they truly are.


CC.14   What would you advise the readers about handling self, handling others?

KG:      Simply follow the holistic approach by the guidance of LifeKDesign, the new initiative started to take you through a transformation and a paradigm shift of being what you deserve to be.

Wherever you feel that you are not performing to your best capacity or that there is something that is pulling you down or you feel dragged, see a therapist.


Kirti, I thank you for sparing your valuable time to share details about your work.  I wish you success in your endeavours and that you are able to reach out to more and more people undergoing mental stress but not aware of their condition.



 

 

For consultations, please contact:

Ms. Kirti Golatkar on :

Phone No.: (WhatsApp) : +91 9820147669

Email : kirtigolatkar@gmail.com

Website: https://www.lifekdesign.com

Interview of Ms. Ekta Modi, Chief Operating Officer of Parul Sevashram Hospital, Vadodara, Gujarat

Ms. Ekta Modi (MBA; Healthcare Administration) represents Parul Sevashram Hospital as Chief Operating Officer, is a dynamic person and has a 16 plus years of strong experience in diverse areas of Healthcare; a firm believer of Patient Centricity approach model. She has honour of undergoing the prestigious “Management Development Program” from AIIMS (New Delhi), is a known speaker at many renowned forums for Customer Delight, Human Resource engagement, Networking and Inter=disciplinary approach, Digital Communication & Branding areas.

She is QAI Assessor for QAI Patient Safety Hospital Standards, Certified by NABH for Ethics Committee Standards, Certified as Internal Assessor for NABH (Programme on Implementation – 4th Edition), Certified by NABH for “Continual Quality Improvement, Tools and Techniques” and is also a Certified by NABH as Internal Assessor for “Nursing Excellence”. She was awarded a Gold Medal for a 50 hours course in Total Quality Management (TQM).

Ekta is a strong believer in work ethics, teamwork and Quality is the focus of all her work.
Hello Ekta, First of all, congratulations on your new Role as Chief Operating Officer at Parul Sevashram Hospital (Affiliated to “Parul Institute of Medical Sciences and Research”) Vadodara where it is located, is a place of cultural importance in the glorious history of the State of Gujarat. It’s a pleasure to be connected and interacting with you. Looking forward to some great insights from you on your role and functions of a Hospital.


CC.1    As the head of a Hospital’s Chief Operating Officer, how does your typical day start and what are your top priorities?

EM:     Thank you for letting me to share my experiences on practical Healthcare management. The best thing about working with Parul Sevashram Hospital is you start your day with National anthem. No two Days are the same!  Usually, I start my day with random round from random departments with random floor so it does not become predictable and keeps every on their toes. Making the best use of technology, click few pictures of unusual observations and areas of improvement and send them to required personnel to ensure that things are timely closed with evidence. My only top most priority remains “patient satisfaction” and so I ensure the actual satisfaction in all areas like nurses, doctor, cleanliness, food, etc. during my rounds. The other areas include troubleshooting of routine things! I have trained my eyes to pick and observe the most minutest of things which helps me improve the things around.


CC.2    What is your strategy for managing your human resources – are you a strict disciplinarian or you take people along, building teams?

EM:     I always believe and work on only one principle “Involve and Empower”. Unless I involve my people in the work process and empower them to the responsibilities, the desired outcome will not be achieved.

Conducting daily post lunch meetings helps me to ensure that the follow up mode of task completion is in process. I am a strict disciplinarian for getting things done at right time and ensure that it’s done through Teamwork (Together Everyone Achieves More).


CC.3    Which of the issues are more demanding of a Operation Manager’s time – Consultants, Patients and their grievances, Staff (Nursing, Administrative, support, Recruitment, Attrition, Discipline), infrastructure related issues & breakdowns?

EM:    The issues mostly have the Triangle relationship: Patient’s problems, Staff issues (availability and behavioural issues) and breakdown problems. Communication as a catalyser! I have observed and realized that most of the problems arise due to communication issues. Major challenge includes keeping me and staff up to date on new policies and procedures. This might mean attending offsite conferences and trainings, holding staff meetings, and implementing training programs for individuals at every level of the organization.


CC.4    For a Hospital to function like a well-oiled machine, the working relationship of a COO with the CEO and with the rest of the team below is very crucial. Please narrate some of your personal experiences and your recommendations to streamline them.

EM:     Usually, a big part of our job is behind the scenes!
We may not hold a scalpel, but play a critical role in keeping hospitals on the cutting edge of medicine and healthcare delivery management, budgeting, operations and compliance. This demands an intimate understanding of both the business and healthcare worlds. Every day, we operate with one goal in mind: to keep all the different parts running smoothly, effectively and cohesively to create a well-oiled centre for exceptional patient care. One of the most exciting aspects of this high-level management position is that no two days are alike. In eight (read nine, ten or even twelve at times!!!) business hours I am likely to apply a number of different skill sets to various tasks. It’s like beginning the day in my office reviewing the most recent financial reports and managed care contracts before heading to a meeting or regarding hiring the hospital’s staff.


CC.5    In a crisis situation, what is your mantra for handling them?

EM:     Crises often come without warning. A Hospital comes under dynamic, fast-paced environment that is typically open 24/7, and we should be prepared to answer after-hours calls or address emergencies at a moment’s notice. I may not set foot in an emergency room, but crisis management is an essential skill for someone in this position. It’s like tactfully dealing and understanding how to pivot gracefully without missing a beat. Modification works! Just modify the things as per the priority and usually it serves the purpose. Sometimes, the solution to some major problems is the most simplest and vice-versa. It has to be seen from a different perspective and requires some training, skill and experience.


CC.6    Do you sometimes feel that you do not have enough resources to accomplish the wide range of tasks or to manage a huge organisation like a Hospital or a Medical College?

EM:     Yes, the resources are always in scarcity! It makes me wonder whether it’s a Stopping point or stepping stone. But Practice pays off. The task is to balance Hospital and ambulatory operations, Employment and staffing, Facilities and infrastructure planning, operational excellence, PR/communications. It is similar to Exercising of vision & constantly challenging the status quo. To make it simple, it’s challenging to penetrate the thoughts of an employee’s mindset; the vision of director and trustee here “Quality can be achieved in quantity also”. Change is the only thing that remains constant. Change in culture, working pattern of key departments and enthusiastic staff will help in exercising the vision.


CC.7    Hospitals are blamed for not being patient-centric. Please Comment.

EM:     It is because we aim for person specific approach and not system specific approach! There are many reports and analysis of internal hospital resources stating that patients are not satisfied with their treatment provided in the hospitals. The common reasons of patient's dissatisfaction are overcrowding, long waiting time to meet doctors, short consultation period (average of 2 minutes), absence of a congenial environment, and communication gap. It is a well known fact that there is frustration with systemic problems too. It is evident from management studies that, if we have to give better output without changes in the input level, we have to improve our existing processes. Improvement of any system is possible by proper system analysis, system design and effective implementation.


CC.8    Do you agree that the term “Patient Satisfaction” is relative? How can it be increased and sustained?

EM:     Team-based treatment works. With the inclusion of machines in work processes, brought by the Industrial Revolution, the management of production of goods and services has become a matter of concern among managers of organizations, since quality assessment, which had been based on inspection, is now evaluated on the basis of customers' perceptions, or those who actually "consume" the product. This is now becoming Crucial in Healthcare too. Quality assessment is a cause for concern among health service managers, and for that reason, it is important that its implementation occurs by means of instruments and systematic techniques, so the managerial process achieves a rational and strategic vision of quality, with decision making oriented toward continuous improvement of processes and products, that is, care services.


CC.9    Across the country, Hospitals have been vandalised by relatives of patients, Why is this happening and what solutions would you propose?

EM:     Instances of rude behaviour and vandalism by irate patients’ attendants and damage to hospital property are becoming a common occurrence. Not only has it led to meaningless damage to property and resentment among hospital staff, but also to disruption of patient care activities adversely affecting the treatment of other patients. Often there are situations where the attendants overcharged with emotions and resentment due to negligence/alleged negligence on the part of hospital staff (leading to damage to/death of a patient), start manhandling the staff as well as damaging the hospital property. Education and Awareness is the key to limit this to an extent! Informed Signages, record of proper documentation, audio visual records are some suggestive measures.  Also, such errant behaviour is not a good sign of our times and for the healthcare system. People should try to seek dialogue for their problems and at the same time, the healthcare providers must be as transparent as possible, keep the communication lines open and take the family in confidence in the event of any adverse situations.


CC.10  How does having Quality Management Systems and Accreditations like JCI, NABH different a hospital from the rest of the Hospitals?

EM:     In spite of the barriers related to the organizational culture and staff turnover, accreditation is mentioned by managers as beneficial to the quality of management and care because, through the standardization of processes and user centralization, the provision of care services is focused on quality. Among the benefits of hospital accreditation, which are mentioned by many professionals, there is greater safety in care of patients and in professional activity, standardization of techniques, support on the scientific nature of care, and better working conditions, which tend to be oriented toward excellence in the care of patients.


CC.11  What measures should be taken to ensure that Quality Management systems in a Hospital remain consistent and sustained?

EM:     When you open the discussion about accreditation, you discuss quality management; you focus on the person of interest: the patient or customer. When you put the end-user at the centre of these care processes, everything is solved. But many will agree with me, that major incidents are not reported!
So to know about the lapses, incident reporting and proper corrective & preventive measures are important.


CC.12  Which are some of the most typical and critical areas a Quality Manager must have her/his eye consistently zoomed in where lapses are likely to occur?

EM:     Standardization of Quality Process - Standardization is a difficult and time consuming task, maintaining the Quality Improvement Culture, medical records management, patient satisfaction and infection control. For me, it starts from Patient Identification right from OPD Registration to Patient Satisfaction at time of discharge. Our eyes have to be like CCTV areas to monitor the implementation of SOP and Processes.


CC.13  A common question that I frequently ask is “what must be done to educate citizens about seeking care at Accredited Healthcare organisations”?

EM:     Inform, Involve and Imbibe! Use the available technology to spread the word. For common people, it is virtually impossible to get information of these internal functions of the hospital or to understand how it affects their healthcare. This limitation on part of patient group many time results in selection of hospitals that lack basic quality features necessary for providing medical care to patients. Thankfully, there is a solution to this problem in form of ‘accreditation’, which is a mark of quality in hospitals.


CC.14  A fresher with a Master’s Degree in Hospital Administration finds himself at sea in a Hospital scenario. What were your personal experiences and what change would you like to recommend to Institutes offering such courses?

EM:     While medical graduates generally take care of the more technical aspects of hospital administration, non-medical graduates handle the operational aspects. The tasks would typically involve managing the staff, health services, technology decisions, IT management and working under a given budget. Practical case studies with guided leadership are the need of the hour! They have to come out of the copy-paste era. The Institute should focus on the ground level necessities like managing the task on your toes most of the time & Intense work pressure as a part and parcel of this job profile. This will make the transition smooth.


CC.15  What will be your 5 key recommendations to young professionals seeking to pursue Hospital Management as a career?

EM:     Hospital management and administration is concerned with the organization, coordination, planning, staffing, evaluating and controlling of health services for the masses. The primary objective is to provide quality healthcare to people and that too in a cost-effective manner. Just assure to follow Step by Step Process, Critical & Creative Thinking, Implementing leadership skills, Adaptability, and DOING things rightly at right time!


Ekta, I thank you for taking time from your hectic schedule to share your deep insights which I am sure will be helpful to the readers.

Disclaimer: The thoughts expressed by Ekta here are her personal and do not represent or relate to any person or organization!

5000 Visitors to My Blog

Yesterday, 5th May, 2020 was an eventful day.

My blog site received 5003 visitors from the day I started this blog.  I have built this over a period of time and increase the frequency of posting articles.  I have also tried to build the blog and how to enhance its capabilities to the fullest.

I thank the people who have given me interviews for their time and agreeing to do it with me.  Their feedback at the interviews on their outcome has also been encouraging.  In another post, I will, if possible, compile their comments.

I thank my readers for their support.  Your encouragement motivates me to do more and scale greater heights.

Please leave your comments and suggestions.

Thanking you all once again.

Sarfaraz

 

RE-BOOTING HOSPITALS POST COVID-19 LOCKDOWN

About the Author : 

Dr George Noel Fernandes

 

Dr. George Noel Fernandes

Over 24 Years of healthcare experience in Asia including China and Japan, Europe, Africa, Middle- East and Americas.  Have worked with variety of organizations in leadership positions such as tertiary care hospitals (Saudi German Hospitals, Apollo Hospitals, CK Birla Hospitals, Parkway Pantai Hospitals) multinational corporations (Emirate Airlines) and insurance and medical assistance (International SOS, Europe Assistance IHS) companies to deliver best available healthcare practices with keen focus on Clinical Excellence, Patient Care, Quality, new product development and revenue growth. 

He has been also involved in various pandemics such as SARS, H1N1 and currently working with various organisations during the COVID-19 pandemic in helping to set up isolation centers and re-structuring and  revamping hospitals to help them to revamp and restructure hospitals to help sustain their operations.
 

Summary:

In the current scenario, hospitals are facing financial problems. Many hospitals had to close their facilities to the public as some of their staff were infected with COVID-19 while others took to limiting their services in an attempt to prevent COVID-19 infection. The facilities are facing further financial strain due to a loss of revenue from the cancellation of elective procedures. The lack of revenue from such surgeries, in addition to low patient volume overall, has sparked a cash crisis for hospitals.

This crisis has further deepened with cross-infection of staff with COVID-19 infection within the hospital, employees contacting the infection from the community, staff not returning to work, increase cost of supplies, increased cash burden due to additional precautions and resources that hospitals need to implement to prevent and protect their employees and facility from COVID-19.

It is important to restart care that is currently being postponed, such as certain procedural care (surgeries and procedures), chronic disease care, and, ultimately, preventive care in a phased manner.

Action Points before start of facility:

1.   Ministry of Health, State Medical Council and local municipality council guidelines to hospitals: Any decision to resume services will be up to local and state authorities. Please be update with the ever evolving guidelines and directives. They define what services are mandated, the reporting of staff to duty, action points for hospital authorities for their staff and patients, etc.

2.   Hospital Leadership: They need to define

·   Their available working capital and available financial resources 

·   Preparing budgets taking into account that they with need to still treat COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients with the complexity of having a large number of suspect cases. 

·   Ensure adequate human resources for all critical medical and non-medical departments to run at a pre-defined hospital capacity.  Staff should also be routinely screened for COVID-19 and tested and quarantined.  Also have a contingency plan for staffing levels to “remain adequate to cover a potential surge in COVID-19 cases.”  The hospital needs to ensure they have enough protective equipment and staff to handle both COVID-19 cases and care for other patients before they resume procedures. 

3.  Hospital Planning:

·   TRIAGE area for segregating and demarcating walk-in patients for COVID-19 (positive and suspect) 

·   Separate entrance for COVID-19 negative patients who are planned admissions with standard screening procedures. 

·   Separate entrance for employees, if possible, with standard screening procedures 

·   Separate entrance for vendors with standard screening procedures 

·   Demarcating hospitals into red, orange and green zones and corridors.  

·   Demarcating hospitals for COVID-19 positive in-patients, COVID-19 suspect in-patients (which will be largest number) and COVID1-19 negative in-patients. Similar key segregation/ processes will need to be made to treat patient in ER, ICUs and OTs. 

·   Environmental factors need to be addressed so as to ensure infection control - e.g. air conditioning, zoning, humidity and temperature, separate lifts if possible or/ and special procedures and protocols for various services to infected, suspected and non-infected areas.  Within the facility, administrative and engineering controls should be established to facilitate social distancing.  Visitors should be prohibited but if they are necessary for an aspect of patient care, they should be pre-screened in the same way as patients.

4.  Review all current policies, processes and protocols for ensuring specialized care for all patients and re-structuring of out-patient, emergency and in-patient services.  A facility that decides to reopen procedures should also create areas to reduce the risk and exposure to COVID-19.  Any patient who is coming in for a procedure must also be screened for potential symptoms of COVID-19.  Facilitate social distancing by minimizing wait times, spacing chairs at least six feet apart and keep low patient volume.  The hospital policy should require patients to wear a cloth face covering that can be bought or made at home if they don’t already have a surgical mask.

5.  Have a robust supply management system.

6.  Constant communication by senior leadership to the employees, patients, community and vendors, etc to update on new guidelines by the government and any change in processes and policies by the hospital management.  It is very important for leadership to provide the confidence and all support to their staff, patients, community and their vendors.  Key is for the leadership to be proactive, listen and act fast with careful planning, making the right decisions at the right time, at the right place and for the right people.

7.  Testing Capacity - All patients must be screened for potential symptoms of COVID-19 prior to entering the non-Covid Centre, and staff must be routinely screened for potential symptoms as noted above.  When adequate testing capability is established, patients should be screened by laboratory testing before care, and staff working in these facilities should be regularly screened by laboratory test as well.  All facilities should be prepared to cease non-essential procedures if there is a surge.

8.  Non-COVID-19 care should be offered to patients as clinically appropriate.  Careful planning is required to resume in-person care of patients requiring non-COVID-19 care, and all aspects of care must be considered — for example: adequate facilities, workforce, testing, and supplies, adequate workforce across phases of care (such as availability of clinicians, nurses, anesthesia, pharmacy, imaging, pathology support, and post-acute care).  The priority should be to re-start clinically necessary care for patients with non COVID-19 needs or complex chronic disease management requirements.  It is important to evaluate the necessity of the care based on clinical needs.  Hospitals should prioritize surgical/procedural care and high-complexity chronic disease management; however, select preventive services may also be highly necessary. 

9.   Sanitation Protocols - Ensure that there is an established plan for thorough cleaning and disinfection prior to using spaces or facilities for patients with non-COVID-19 care needs.  Ensure that equipment such as anesthesia machines used for COVID-19 (+) patients are thoroughly decontaminated, following CDC guidelines.

10.  Adequate supplies of equipment, medication and supplies must be ensured, and not detract for the community ability to respond to a potential surge.

11.  Maximum use of all tele-health modalities is strongly encouraged.  Important to invest in date and information technology.

I wish everyone good health.  Please take all precautions in your own and patient's safety.  Follow all the protocols.  Train your staff and let no one to circumvent and compromise on any processes. 

Life’s Lessons from Movies : Dil Dhadakne Do

The movie has been directed by very talented Zoya Akhtar.

The main cast includes Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shah, Ranveer Singh, Priyanka Chopra, Anuskha Sharma, Rahul Bose, Zarina Wahab and Farhan Akhtar.

Anil Kapoor plays Kamal Mehra, the main family patriarch and Shefali Shah is his wife, Neelam Mehra.  Ranveer Singh plays Kabeer Mehra and Priyanka Chopra characterises Ayesha Sangha, being the son and daughter respectively.  Ayesha is married to Rahul Bose who plays Manav Sangha.  Farhan Akhtar plays Sunny Gill.

The movie is set on a cruise ship on which Kamal Mehra is hosting his business associates, family and friends for his 30th wedding anniversary.  The marriage is mostly dysfunctional.  Kamal Mehra’s business is in the red and is a cause of financial stress for him.  His company AYKA, abbreviated for Ayesha and Kabeer owns a aircraft which is Kabeer’s passion.  Kabeer wants to fly and is not interested in the business activity.

On the cruise, Kabeer meets Farha Ali, a performer.  They have an affair going and are happy with each other.  But things turn turtle and there is a lot of misunderstanding.

Ayesha at some point of time confides in her parents that she wants to divorce and Kamal Mehra, being the Punjabi that he is, repulses at the very idea.  He says that “whatever he has done is for her own good”.  Sunny boards at the cruise at one port of call.  Sunny and Ayesha have been childhood friends and Ayesha wanted to marry him but Kamal Mehra sponsors Sunny’s higher education and sends him out of the country so that he can get Ayesha married into a well-settled family.

There is family confrontation between the Mehra’s and Sangha.  Manav forces Ayesha to leave the cruise with him and physically mishandles him.  Kamal Mehra cannot take it after a point of time and warns him about assaulting Ayesha and asks Manav and his mother to leave the ship.

Kabeer takes charge of the situation and spells out the beans - the hard facts that nobody wants to discuss.  He tells the family that he is not interested in managing the company and it should be given to someone who is competent to lead the charge, i.e. Ayesha.  All he wants to do is to fly in the skies and live his life.

Meanwhile, Farha is dismissed by the cruise company for not complying with the Company’s rules.  Kabeer tries to tell the ship crew to turn back and allow him to leave the ship.  Ultimately, he jumps off the ship but not before taking his father into confidence - "will you be my lifeboat?" Kamal Mehra, Neelam and Ayesha board a lifeboat to pick him out at sea.  Kabeer is rescued by them and this is a bonding moment for the four of them.

Key Lessons from my perspective:
1.    Parents should not force their decisions upon their children.  They should consult them as to their goals, aspirations and what they want to do in life.
2.    Forcing them to marry someone not of their choice ends up making everyone unhappy.
3.    Being unhappy in marriage causes mental stress, pain and agony.
4.    Parents should be open to discussion about their children’s problems, miseries and have an open channel for communication, allowing them to freely air their feelings, frustrations, anxieties and anguishes.
5.    A daughter should continue to enjoy her rights as part of her own family.  Getting her married off does not end the parent's responsibilities.  Parents should monitor the health of their children's marital relationships.  A lot of cues are available to quickly understand the status.
6.    The mother here is a socialite and prefers to push the problems under the carpet for fear of society.  She does not want to be caught on the wrong foot.
7.    The mother does not care to listen to her daughter and give her private time to understand what she wants to express.
8.    When a girl’s parents, even if they are highly educated and belong to high society, surrender to their daughter's in-laws, they give a message that her in-laws can do whatever they think is right, even if it is physical or mental harassment.   Such behaviour gives confidence to in-laws that anything will be tolerated.
9.    You can have affection for any person irrespective of their religion or profession.
10.    The right person for the Right Job is beautifully highlighted here.
11.    It is important to recognise where your true love is.  One can only be happy in a harmonious relationship, with someone you can share a bonding, share your feelings and be comfortable with.
12.    Keep your conscience alive.  The moment it ceases to provoke you, push you is akin to being dead – without emotions, with affection.

Life’s Lessons from Movies : Bollywood Film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

The movie released in 2013 is directed a very young director, Ayan Mukherjee.  The main cast is Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Aditya Roy Kapur, Kalki Koechlin.  Veteran Actor Farooq Shaikh plays father to the main hero while Tanvi Azmi plays his step mother.

This story is about three young friends – two boys, Kabir, the main hero, Avinash and Adit while Naina is the main heroine.

Bunny is from a middle class family.  Aditi is from a super rich family. Avinash is from a business family but is high on gambling and is fond of alcohol.

The three of them embark on a trekking trip to Manali.  Naina is a medical aspirant who has been academically brilliant all through her education.  She comes to know that other young people are enjoying life while she is putting all time and attention to pursuing medical studies.  She suddenly leaves home and joins them on a trip.  While other people are having a good time, she is unable to open up and enjoy.  She is unable to participate, much as she would like.

She even takes her books to read on the trip.  Here too, she brings out the competitive spirit and takes lead in being part of the first team to reach the base camp.  Kabir who is shown as flirtatious, even teases her for her outlook in life, of being boring and not able to enjoy the fruits of youth.  Avinash loves getting cozy with girls who give him attention.  Aditi has feelings for Avinash but is not able to express simply because he is all the time into girls, alcohol and gambling. 

While at Manali, the four of them get into confrontation with the locals and they get chased.  The main heroine helps fight them off and is herself surprised.  Once they reach the peak, someone points to a peak and asks what is that place.  The trek guide tells them that as per legend, there used to be temple high on that peak and which no more exists.  He informs that people who go out in search of that temple do not return back and that on every full moon day, those departed souls come again to search for that temple. 

All is well until, we see Bunny climbing towards that isolated forbidden peak.  Somewhere close ahead is Naina.  They rest for a while and suddenly Bunny opens up.  He tells her about his passion that he wants to see and visit every corner of the world and also wonders why he has not been able to share his innermost feelings with his best friend Avinash.   Bunny is ambitious and wants a fast, non-stopping life.  He is not the one who will stay at one place.  Romance and Marriage are not for him.  He tells Naina that she is not wrong but she is different.

The story line changes and Avinash shares that Bunny has got admission to a US university and there is gloom around.  Just before this, Naina is about to share her feelings with Bunny and this happens.  Bunny even asks her what was that she wanted to talk about and  she replies, “Morning has dawned”.  Somewhere, Naina has begun to have feelings but she is unable to convey it to him.  She wants him to enjoy his life, achieve his ambitions and does not want to tie him down.  Bunny is in complete contrast to her choice of life – to remain grounded, to take care of family, profession and fulfil her other commitments.  She wants to be here and now.

There are moments where they meet again at the Aditi’s wedding, almost after about 8 years.  Avinash is upset with Bunny for having neglected their relationship and being selfish, so much so that he did not attend his own father’s funeral.   Bunny is still steadfast on to his ambitions and as a result of this was unable to even attend his father’s funeral.  He conveys his regrets of not getting to know of his father’s passing to the heroine in a very close moment they share.  At one point of time, he even asks Bunny if he would be going to which he replies in the negative.

Bunny succumbs to the charm of Naina but is yet not willing to change his stand.  Naina tells him that “If you don’t go away, I fall in love with you, again.  And you will still not be able to falling in love, again.”

At the airport, Bunny changes his mind, goes back to meet her step mom, who tells him that his father wanted him to enjoy his life, live the way he always wanted him to be and that is what would make him happy.  They both share a warm endearing moment.

Bunny ultimately goes to Naina, proposes and all ends well.

Key Lessons from my perspective:
1.    Friends are very important.  They are there for life.
2.    Money and greed are not considered important between friends.
3.    Friends long to meet and stay in touch with each other long after they have gone.
4.    Friends are a strong support system.
5.    Friends understand each other well.
6.    It is good to have clarity of life’s goals and you will definitely achieve success.
7.    One must chart out a clear path to achieve those goals.
8.    One doesn’t have to be like others and be right but it is good to be different.
9.    Life happens to those who chase their dreams.
10.    It is important to live in the moment.
11.    You can’t be everywhere, see and have everything.  To absorb something, you have to give time and let go of other things.
12.    Parents sacrifice everything for the happiness of their children.
13.    One must give consideration to the emotional and physical needs of parents.  They may not say but their physical presence gives them more happiness and they sacrifice that most of the times.
14.    Opposites attract as in this case.  The heroine is grounded, home-bound, has family commitments.  The hero is the opposite – wants to be a free bird, bereft of any commitments.
15.    Happiness is being at home, where the anchor is dropped.
16.    To achieve something in life, you may have to sacrifice many things.  One should know how to balance them out.
17.    What you are chasing may not necessarily give you happiness.  It may cause a lot of pain.  The girl is emotionally attached to the third friend but is never able to commit to him.
18.    Short-term relationships will never ever give you the happiness.  It may give you momentary pleasure but never happiness, contentment, peace and calm.
19.    You have to pay a price for whatever you choose.  Nothing is easy.  To gain something, you have to lose something, and sometimes, the price to pay can be very heavy.
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