Heard of preventive care? Get ready for one

Preventive care - That's the new mantra of today. Gone are the days when you only visited a neighbourhood doctor while you were absolutely unwell and your usual die hard habits of popping in pills never helped much. With the new age science of preventive healthcare bringing sweeping changes in the healthcare industry get set to see a total transformation in healthcare.

More professionalism:

The concept of managed care is coming up in a big way, which will provide a comprehensive range of services from preventive primary care to long-term care. And that's not all. Healthcare is getting more professional and commercial too. Perhaps its the rising consumerism, growing need for better healthcare facilities or the discerning middle class getting more demanding, it's the dawn of a new era for the healthcare industry.

For economically weaker sections:

With the recent spate of insurers coming in, healthcare seems to have come of age. While hospitals such as Apollo did dole out healthcare packages, these were by and large limited to the higher echelons of society, the privileged few. Today times have changed and quality healthcare will soon be made accessible to the economically weaker sections too at an affordable price.

Healthcare companies:

Considering the potential the healthcare industry holds, a number of companies are busy working out strategies. Also a new breed of third party administrators (TPAs), will play their role and help administer these strategies to reach out to the consumer. Max India, Fortis Healthcare, Paramount Healthcare, BUPA Piramal, a joint venture between the Piramal group and the UK-based healthcare major BUPA are few which have ventured into this arena.

Speciality hospitals:

Max India is setting up a network of about 35 to 40 primary care clinics, four diagnostic centres (with ambulatory surgery facilities), two medium-sized hospitals, and a large state-of-the-art tertiary care hospital by 2005.

While, Apollo plans to set up speciality hospitals here as also abroad and Apollo Lifestyle Clinics too, of which 200 will begin their operations by end of 2002 some companies believe in going via the primary route as they feel this could help them tap the market better since patients approach the nearby primary clinic first.

Third party administrators:

The Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (IRDA) is yet to come out with the final guidelines on third party administrators. While the draft regulations are already out a number of changes are required in the norms set, in order to encourage the newcomers set up shop here. Also the sale of healthcare products has not been permitted by the regulator which has proved to be a major setback to them considering the large amount of investment that has already been made.

But things are expected to change for the better bringing in better services, products and facilities for one and all that will change the face of the healthcare industry that it was.