Dr D Rambabu – General Manager of Vijaya Group of Hospitals and Author of ‘Reality of Hospital Administration’ handing over a copy of the book to
Dr SS Badrinath – Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Sankara Nethralaya
The session started with a warm welcome and the need to equip healthcare managers to face challenges in Hospital Administration, by Shri A. Mahalingam, Assistant Registrar of the academy and introduction of the speaker Dr D Rambabu – General Manager, Vijaya Group of Hospitals, Chennai, for his kind acceptance and support to the Sankara Nethralaya academy.
The highly impressive career graph of the guest speaker, rising from the lower administrative ranks to a position of senior management within the same organization over 3 decades testifies the die-hard formula of hard work, dedication and commitment for personal success and recognition. Dr D Rambabu set his talk on the challenges facing the hospital administrator in today’s scenario. He emphasized the value of satisfying patients, who are the prime customers in a hospital, as this is the ultimate method to ensure not just survival but also growth in a fiercely competitive market. Effective manpower management is all about treating every employee with respect and dignity and giving due recognition for his efforts and contribution within the team. Hospital Managers should manage their time well and keep abreast of all activities happening within the premises. “Management on wheels” would help identify conflict areas and direct analysis of the situation would later provide an unbiased and realistic resolution to the problem.
The efficacy of simple and direct communication was illustrated with instances from the speaker’s experiences.
The leadership qualities of a good hospital administrator are exhibited at times of sound decision making and developing a well-coordinated team work. A proficient hospital administrator must be adept with all operational aspects of the hospital setup. He might not deliver clinical care to the patient but is equally responsible for ensuring that all the other facilities needed to deliver quality patient care are in order. Be it regular maintenance of equipment or building or proper supply of materials and hospital supplies, or managing manpower shortage in administrative areas or the perennial conflict in finance, billing etc. – the hospital administrator has to bring all of the above elements under his gamut to provide a way forward that will help the organization to grow and develop into a centre that delivers excellent quality of service.
Dr D Rambabu is a living example of how a person equipped with basic skills and knowledge can be trained and moulded to take on a position of responsibility and leadership, provided he embodies the inherent qualities of care, compassion, dedication, loyalty and passion. These attributes are basic to any individual who wants to make a difference to patient care and can directly or indirectly impact on the patient’s overall experience and treatment in that hospital.