Carethics

Are scan-makers scamsters?? We have been dealing with the question for ages now. Or at least we can say the time GE and other manufacturers made it necessary for all the healthcare providers to have the equipment. Here the whole deal is about doctors, labs and hospitals…..

Some facts first: CT came into being in 1970s when Beatle boys gave away the profit of their album, Fab Four, to fund the research for first CT scan machine. X rays were being used prior to that.

Now, Scan is the mantra…if you want to diagnose for a disease, CT scan is the first thing the doctors will ask you to do. But the question always remains, do we need so many of them? Especially when US is moving ahead of it and reporting that there are indications that radiations from CT scan could lead to cancer in later stages.

There is another counter point, 50% of the sudden deaths in the country are considered to be due to undiagnosed diseases. Doctors believe it could help patients with hypertension, diabetes, or any heart diseases. India is considered to be heart disease patients capital of the world with almost 2 million deaths per year and the numbers are only increasing.

Experts even say that patients also should not undergo more than one scan a year. What do you say?

2 days and 2 reports, questioning our most natural habit - regularly pop medicines or pills without doctor’s approval. Day before yesterday, it was a shocking case of medicine going haywire (IIT professor in coma since 1 ½ years after having a single tablet of known pain killer, brufen reports Mumbai Mirror) and now FDA has asked American people to stop giving cold and cough syrups (being sold OTC) to children younger than 2 years (Business Week). Well, the whole mechanism started last year when few pharma companies pulled its cough syrups out of the market, and now FDA has issued warnings to prevent parents giving cough medicines to adolescents under 2 years of age.

Pediatricians who criticize the use of cold and cough medicine say the ingredients in the medicine make children hyperactive, irritable and sometimes side-effects could be fatal. Doctors even say only medicines to be made available OTC should be vitamin capsules and rest should not be given without prescription.

Well, these incidence do put up a question….what all medicines should be available over the counter?

But what about our regular habit of popping pills for headache…for stomach ache….for cold….pain killers…sleeping pills…and likewise n number of other reasons.

Taking cue from growing need for infrastructure for healthcare in the country, many real estate developers are finding the sector hot. So apart from developing residential spaces and commercial establishments, developing hospital has also become good investment opportunities.

Livemint reports SPV builders will built 300 bed multi-specialty Hospital in NCR.

Ghaziabad-based real estate developer SVP Builders India Ltd, announced an investment of Rs500 crore in residential, commercial and healthcare spaces. Firm would offer over 3,100 flats in NCR and a 300-bed multi-speciality hospital in Faridabad. This will be there first investment in healthcare. While the Faridabad hospital would be ready by 2009, SPV is planning another hospital in Ghaziabad with no set deadlines yet.

I think more quality hospitals means more the options for the consumers,and more comparative pricing….In the end it’s going to benefit consumers only.

IVEN Medicare, division of ICICI venture for healthcare investments, has raised $250 million reports FE. They already have a deal with 5 hospitals across India and seven more in the pipeline.
Some of the investments already done are:

RG Stone Hospital – Rs.40 crore
Sahyadri Hospital, Pune – Rs.140 crore
Medica Synergie, Kolkotta – Rs.65 crore

They are looking at bringing in 10,000 beds under its fold by 2009, taking up more than 50% stake in the hospitals it funds. The company’s strategy is to invest in healthcare delivery with already existing players, explore new markets (Medica Synergie is certainly a good investment when most corporate have not yet looked at taping North East market)…. As per reports, company is looking at 2-3 years period to get listed. But most hospitals need 5-7 years time to break even, so I don’t know how they are going to show returns in 3 year time period.

Any ideas on how they can do that ??

The unwanted Question is back to haunt the Indian govt. World bank has exposed serious frauds and corruption in healthcare projects it has jointly funded along with Indian govt, reports WSJ. Five healthcare projects in question were launched between '97 &'03. While, here in India, a high level committee has been formed to look into the matter.

But can anything change?? what do you suggest, what kind of checks should we have??

And if any chance, after zillion of years, culprits are nailed, what punishment you suggest??

Hello guys, “Carethics” is back after a real loooooo…ng break.
Quite a few things hav happened in b/w. But let bygones be bygones, lets move ahead.

Ranbaxy forays into Chyawanprash market with ‘Chyawan Active' reports ET.

Name of the product - Chyawan Active - Ayurvedic - sugar free.
TG(target group) - Diabetic + calorie conscious ppl - more than 40 million.
Launch ground - North India - higher number of lifestyle diseased patients
Market size - 250 crores
Last year growth – 15%

A good ground for Ranbaxy to play, a big market…Lately, quite a few brands are coming out with generic products for different markets. Eventually, everybody wants to have their share in each pie.