Diagnostic Most Reliable
And
Pathology Center To Watch
PERSONALISED INSIGHTS Essential Tips for Achieving Impactful Patient Engagement
Pallavi Jain Managing Director
Krsnaa
Diagnostics 2020 | VOL. 12 | ISSUE 04
Editor’s Note LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY FOR A BETTER FUTURE
I
f you have data, there’s a lot of artificial intelligence which can work pretty close to human sensibilities in order to bring about awesome outcomes. What is central though is the presence of humongous quantities of data for the systems to whet its teeth on. With most fields of activity generating their own share of data, there’s always scope for AI to work out certain outcomes. Of these, the most significant use is in the field of healthcare where data gets captured across various points for various purposes, be it to record diseases, accidents, cures, duration of disease and its cure, signals given by our bodies and so on. In sum, putting to use such humongous data when put in the right silos besides giving better insights into diseases and their cure, shall also greatly help
allied industries, as the likes of wearables. Below are specific instances where, the healthcare industry has found the right medium of cures and cares, by leveraging AI and Big Data. Better interpretation for early detection. Neural networks like the ones developed by the likes of Google to identify traffic signals and stop/start vehicles led to the thinking that it may be possible to use the same kind of intelligence to study retinas of diabetics to detect the possibility of early-stage blindness which they may suffer later in life. These aside, AI and deep learning using their amazing neural networks can detect anomalies in x-rays and MRI scans at speeds unthinkable for human radiologists. Reducing costs associated with dispensing medical assistance On an average, 25% of the entire cost of providing medical assistance goes to administrative costs which includes compensations and remuneration to medical assistance staff. This entire cost which may amount to a whooping USD 150 billion in a
Sumita Sarkar
few years’ time can be entirely done away with and the savings transferred towards better services by depending upon AI-related systems. Another aspect is to transfer data collection to AIassisted self-care systems which can be handled by patients themselves. Reducing costs associated with discovering and producing drugs Without the backing of AI and related big-data, therapeutics, the field of discovering new drugs, uses and ways of producing drugs could take years to come about and that too without any guarantee of success to recover the resources spent. Wrong set of data, incomplete data etc. are some of the shortcomings involved. Estimating likely outcomes without a fast system of computing usually takes years to come to a conclusion, where everything including testing has to be done manually. All these can be obviated where ML systems using correctly siloed data speeds up the process of drug discovery. While years can be shaved off using an ‘in-silico’ approach instead of ‘in-vitro’ and ‘in-vivo’, the
predictability of outcomes also become better. All this though depends upon the availability of significant quantities of data and information. This edition Most Reliable Diagnostic and Pathology Centres to Watch, places the spotlight on healthcare service providers that are leveraging such revolutionary technologies to deliver the best to those seeking their services.
COVER STORY
08
Krsnaa Diagnostics Taking the Indian Healthcare Paradigm to the Next Level
Article
16
Personalised Insights Essential Tips for Achieving Impactful Patient Engagement
20
Oncquest Laboratories Limited the avant-garde pathology & diagnostic laboratories
26
Industry Inclinations Emerging Technologies, Crisis, Revolutions Currently Prevailing in the Current Industry Environment
24
Expert’s View Better Diagnostic Services for A Healthier Future
30
PROFILE
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Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital-Laboratory: Compassionate and Quality Healthcare
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DECEMBER, 2020
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Most Reliable
Diagnostic and
Pathology Center to Watch
Management
Brief
Govindarajan V, Founder and CEO
Aarthi Scans is a private company founded in the year 2000, and is one of the largest and most affordable diagnostic provider in India. The company is dedicated to remain at the forefront of the medical imaging and diagnostics field.
Accuster accuster.com
Amit Bhatnagar, Founder and Director
Accuster Technologies is a research-based manufacturing organisation which is working round the clock to provide revolutionized solutions in the field of In-Vitro Diagnostics(IVD).
Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital – Laboratory adityabirlahospital.com
Rekha Dubey, CEO
Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital is a multi-speciality quaternary care hospital located in Pune. It is a super speciality healthcare facility to cater to the needs of all sections of society. The hospital’s mission: Compassionate Quality Healthcare.
Airmed Pathology Laboratory airmedlabs.com
Piyush Gupta, Cofounder
Airmed Labs provide best in the class diagnostic support to doctors and quality care to patients. The focus on clinical diagnosis as well as non-clinical attributes(like hygiene and patient-communication) to attain highest levels of service quality to strongly influence patient satisfaction.
Alkem Laboratories alkemlabs.com
Prabhat Agrawal, CEO
Alkem Laboratories is one of India’s largest generic and speciality pharmaceutical company, but recently operates in over 50 other countries.
Dr.Sushant Agrawal, CEO
AmPath is a state-of-the-art, fully-automated pathology and diagnostic solution provider operating under the clinical direction of leading US pathologists. They work in collaboration with UPMC, one of the best hospitals in the United States.
Company Name
Aarthi Scans aarthiscan.com
AmPath ampath.com
Central Lab is central India’s largest lab chain focused on delivering highest quality diagnostic solutions at affordable prices. They specialise in preventive and chronic health care, corporate health check-ups, government and CRO work, hospital implants. Krsnaa Diagnostics Pvt Ltd is India’s largest diagnostic services provider, both in Radiology and Pathology. They deliver clinical excellence through collaborative teleradiology services to enable robust evidence-based treatment for patients in any corner of the country.
Central Lab centrallab.org
Dr Vinita Kothari, CEO
Krsnaa Diagnostics Pvt Ltd krsnaadiagnostics.com
Pallavi Jain, Managing Director
Oncquest Laboratories Limited oncquest.net
Dr Ravi Gaur, Managing Director
Onquest Laboratories Ltd. is an ideal associate for pathology testing in India and neighbouring countries. The facilities specialise in diagnosis of various kinds, hospital lab management, clinical trials, R&D.
Qualilife Diagnostics qualilifediagnostics.com
Dr Roopa Viswanathan, Managing Director
Qualilife is a state-o-the-art, fully automated laboratory for the diagnosis of infectious diseases in Mumbai. The lab operates under the medical guidance of Dr. Roopa Viswanathan.
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We are the leaders in COVID-19 testing in private labs, conducting maximum COVID tests at extremely competitive rates in Maharashtra
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Pallavi Jain Managing Director
Cover Story
Krsnaa
Diagnostics Taking the Indian Healthcare Paradigm to the Next Level
Most Reliable
Diagnostic and
Pathology Center to Watch
Also, the healthcare institutions are facing a lot of problems in procuring the right quantities of supplies as there has been a worldwide shortage of materials. The working conditions are tough, and it seems that care providers need a lot of motivation to take lead and keep going in spite of severe fund crunches and challenging working conditions due to the nationwide lockdown. “We have extended our support to the nation and have stretched our finances, manpower, improved AI technology to increase capacity. We have put in all our innovative genes to make the situation manageable,” says the team of Krsnaa Diagnostics Pvt. Ltd. “I proudly call out to my entire team that they did a fantastic job and they got us through this situation with courage and performed way beyond anybody’s expectations,” says Pallavi Jain, the Managing Director of the above-mentioned chain of diagnostics center. Genesis of Krsnaa Diagnostics The journey of Krsnaa Diagnostics started in December 2010, with an aim to improve medical diagnostics to world
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class levels and introduce a whole spectrum of services at affordable rates. Along with this, grew the philosophy of Let’s do good, as a promise to ensure that every associated person contributes to the well-being and good health of the society. “From starting our journey in a tier two city in Maharashtra, today we have evolved as one of the best and fastest growing medical diagnostics chains in India,” says the team of Krsnaa Diagnostics. The chain of diagnostics services enables pathology and radiology services spread across 14 states of India and at 1500 plus locations along with having 24x7 availability throughout the year with zero compromise on delivery of quality healthcare services. Annually, the company delivers approximately: • 7 lakhs scans of CT & MRI, • 60 Lakh scans of X-Ray, • 30 lakh Pathology Tests With the help of a team of 200 plus highly skilled and talented Radiologists, Pathologists and other Clinicians along with best-in-class equipment procured from world leaders, Krsnaa Diagnostics is enabling the best evidencebased treatment for millions of patients across the country. It is revered amongst the topmost laboratories in India. Krsnaa Diagnostics provides tele-radiology services and is the largest tele-radiology service provider in India today connecting every corner of this nation from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. The company has set up multiple NABL
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T
he current healthcare space has not seen this sort of pandemic situation before. The world has witnessed the conditions like these almost 100 years back and that leaves no traces of experience to the current generation to tackle such a situation. The main challenge all the healthcare service providers face today due to the outbreak of Covid-19 is having the right people to do the right job round the clock without getting themselves infected.
We provide best in class services at extremely affordable prices which are as low as 50% of the market rates
Accredited and ICMR Approved Pathology Laboratories at various locations across India with all the required equipment setup in Biochemistry, Microbiology, Molecular Biology including RT-PCR Machines for current COVID Testing. It uses AI developed work cycle to do a timely reporting and connect the best doctors spread across the nation to the masses. Dynamics of Krsnaa Diagnostics Krsnaa has bestowed its philosophy of ‘Let’s do good’ within all its associates and employees. It has created a culture of empathy and compassion. With this approach the team of Ksnaa Diagnostics promises that every associated person with them would contribute their part to the wellbeing of the society touching over 10 million lives annually and winning awards and accolades for providing qualityoriented diagnostics to even remote locations. Further, its equipment is best in class and procured from world leaders like Wipro GE, Siemens, Philips, Thermofisher Scientific, and Abott etc. The doctors and technicians are well trained and highly qualified to do the job but at the same time they are also welcoming and believe in world class patient care. “They treat the patients with love, and anything done with love makes it unique, isn’t it?” asks Pallavi joyfully. As a famous world leader once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country,” there could not be a more opportune moment for Krsnaa Diagnostics as a company and more appropriately as citizens, to contribute to the nation’s efforts. The company is offering its support and assistance to the government’s healthcare efforts. Krsnaa Diagnostics provided free testing for the needy and donated masks, sanitizers and ventilators to various organizations and frontline workers on a large scale. As a partner to the government, its team feels very fortunate to be associating with governments of various states of India. The most appreciated innovation it pioneered during this pandemic was establishing a fleet of COVID -19 Test Buses with AI for various locations to provide the testing services on the go to the densely populated urban areas and remote areas where healthcare services are not easily accessible. This mobile facility is based on indigenous technology and is the first vehicle of its kind in the country and across the globe.
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We use the latest technology machines like 3T MRI and 128 slice CT machines at our centres
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Our centres across India offer all special and regular pathology testing services, CT Scan, MRI Scan, Ultrasound Sonography and X Ray Scan services
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It had been setup to provide screening facility to people living in hotspots and proved to be very helpful for a faster mass screening. The Bus is based on indigenous technology and with on-board AI-based tele-radiology and contactless swab collection. “Further, we developed AI based software for faster reporting and distribution of reports,” states Pallavi. Leading the Care Conglomerate Krsnaa Diagnostics’ Chairman’s vision for the company sprung from two tipping points: • ‘Giving back what we owe to the society’ – This inherently was just not enough for him as he wanted to bring in sterling human values into the business and spread goodness. • Secondly, within the realm of healthcare, medical diagnostics was yet underdeveloped in the first decade of 21st Century. He identified the gap and wanted to bridge it for better. “It is a great honour for me to be one of the founding members of Krsnaa Diagnostics. It was our dream to see
Krsnaa where it is today and watching Krsnaa grow makes me feel grateful to the almighty for helping us in every possible way to achieve this,” shares Pallavi. “We at Krsnaa are a family of more than 2500 people and this makes me feel proud to have such a large family,” she adds further. Since the inception, Krsnaa has been like a child to Pallavi and nobody has ever had words to express the satisfaction and happiness a mother feels watching her child grow. Pallavi believes it is her social responsibility as a founding member of the company to do every possible thing to create value to the nation in terms of providing people quality service even at odd hours and keep the ball rolling. “The journey here has been fantastic and what I am today is all because of what Krsnaa could become today,” states Pallavi. Currently present in 14, the company is planning to spread across all the states of India. It is mostly into public-private partnership (PPP) sector but now the team of Krsnaa Diagnostics is associating with private hospitals and have already tied up with over 1000 private hospitals.
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Essential Tips for Achieving Impactful
Patient
Engagement
16 | December 2020
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Personalised Insights
T
o the layman, patient engagement is the system in the field of medicines where an attempt is made by the medical professionals using various means including high-end technology to involve patients positively in their own wellness. It includes the entire gamut of providing information, changing behavioural patterns for better responses, arranging for effective feedback, and using the same for better service deliveries.
This needs to be replicated at every point where the patient encounters the medical field, be it the support staff, pharmacy, radiology and reporting, postprocedure care, ambulances and so on. What is essential is to show empathy at every stage which should be the opposite of taking every patient as a necessary evil or disturbance.
The field of medicines is without a doubt getting better by the day with newer discoveries being made almost daily, be it in drug manufacturing, their dosage, interventions like surgical processes and procedures, pre and post care, exercise and nutrition, mental and psychological health and so on.
Making things complicated is the last thing to engender trust and liking, especially so when one is in pain and looks to help and care. In such times, by having systems which border on the absurd with no chance of a recourse, only adds to the feeling of hurt and ends up making the patient withdrawn, aloof and least interesting in registering a positive response or giving a positive feedback so essential in making engagement sessions more fruitful.
That said, the latest and best of discoveries do not really make the cut till the time the intended patients themselves do not take the right actions which may go beyond taking prescribed care and caution and include imbibing medication as prescribed. To make the process more effective in every way, the system of medication has to be geared towards involving the patients in multiple ways which may include being part of care administering to themselves besides providing the right information about interventions and medications. The reason why patient engagement is increasingly receiving focus is to do with the need for a faster and assured healthcare approach with the minimum of side and after affects, and lower costs of medical interventions. Some of the ways to achieve improved patient engagement include: Positive involvement of the medical fraternity Patient engagement becomes positive when there’s positivity from the care-givers end. And in this, the first and most primary of contacts including the doctors and medical practitioners have a big role to play. By showing care and empathy, a trust and bonding can be built between the medical fraternity and the patient.
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Make things simple to follow
Keep the engagement sessions continuous For positive patient engagement, it is essential that the engagement sessions have a degree of continuity which could extend from the present engagement to others in the future and could also involve those within the family or within the circle of immediate and close ones. Such close sessions are a sure way of keeping the engagement live for the entire group instead of just one individual. Use technology to the optimum With the internet spreading its wings far and wide, communication has become super-easy. And communication is the lynchpin in the case of effective care giving. Using a plethora of wearable devices where possible, and using technologies including cloud storage, patients themselves can be involved in giving timely and relevant health-related information to the medical industry. In doing so, besides helping treat patients better, data gets collected on varied aspects which can be used to provide effective and efficient care.
December 2020 | 17
Rekha Dubey CEO
20 | December 2020
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Most Reliable
Diagnostic and
Pathology Center to Watch
ADITYA BIRLA
Memorial HOSPITAL-LABORATORY Compassionate and Quality Healthcare
W
ith its state of the art infrastructure supported by advanced technologies and modern equipment of international standards, Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital-Laboratory is a super specialty healthcare facility that caters to the needs of all section of society.
At ABMH, we have always given utmost importance to Quality, Pa ent Care and Pa ent Safety which is always the ul mate goal of all the standard healthcare providers.
Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital is a homage and tribute to Late Shri Aditya Vikram Birla. He had envisioned a world class hospital in India. His vision has taken shape in the form of a medi-city sprawled over 16 acres of land. It is Pune's first Medi-city with 500 BEDS, 152 ICU BEDS, 13 OTs, DEDICATED 27 DAYCARE BEDS FOR CHEMOTHERAPY and 29 DIALYSIS UNITS and commissioned in the year 2006 and located at Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune in the West Indian state of Maharashtra. It is a tertiary care facility, functions in a film less and paperless digital environment, backed by cutting edge medical technology and IT resources. With the finest talents in medicine, be they doctors, nurses, technicians or management professionals the quaternary healthcare centre provides high quality and cost-effective medical services and caters to the needs of all sections of society. The CEO, Rekha Dubey, speaks to us about her journey with ABMH and how the hospital is living up to its mission. Brief us about journey with ABMH? What was the inspiration behind joining the healthcare Industry? I left Apollo Hospitals and joined Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital as an assistant manager and I believe that moment changed my journey. I managed an upward graph with the CEO designation that I clinched within five years. My growth at ABMH, however, was met with scepticism. But I managed all the criticisms and delivered what was expected from me by constantly focussing on the mission of the hospital. My route to triumph is hard work, patience and perseverance. I have justified my role with meticulous work, and the imprint of my work can be seen in the way the hospital has shaped up. Quality affordable healthcare is the basic need of every citizen in our country and we have huge gap of quality affordable healthcare services. I
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December 2020 | 21
felt I can address this by taking up a challenging role like this and specially with a group which is one of the most trusted and respected group globally. Aditya Birla Group has always been in the frontier for adopting the latest technology and deploying Quality and Safety measures across the world and it was done so in this hospital to deliver the most advance quality and safe healthcare. Tell us about the services that the centre offers. The laboratory at Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital is a fully automated diagnostic laboratory that offers services in the fields of Hematology, Biochemistry, Histopathology and Microbiology. These range from routine and semi speciality tests such as Hemogram, routine biochemical tests, tumor markers, Diabetes workup, culture and antibiotic sensitivity at one end of the spectrum to super speciality tests like Renal pathology, Oncopathology, Autoimmune workup, Tuberculosis workup, Molecular tests for COVID 19 and other infectious diseases at the other end. The laboratory provides wellness tests for preventive care in addition to sick care for our inpatients. Please share the latest technology that the centre is utilizing to offer better services. We are a brand conscious organisation and believe in trusting the well established names in the industry as well as invest in the latest technology available in the market. Some notable technologies are Dry Chemistry, Flow cytometry based cell counters, Immunofluorescence microscopy, automated antibiotic sensitivity, Cartridge based nucleic acid amplification (CBNAAT), Real time PCR (open system), Chemiluminiscence Microparticle Immunoassay (CMIA), High performance Liquid Chromatography(HPLC) to name a few. In addition a robust Laboratory Information system to provide the patient his results at the fingertips in the earliest possible turn around time.
22 | December 2020
What are the unique propositions that the centre offers giving it an edge over competitors? Our home care division provides complete service to the patient at his doorstep which not only includes sample collection but also pharmacy and nursing services. In addition the highly competent team of doctors in the laboratory are always in touch with their clinical counterparts to discuss case details and provide the correct report to the patient. All critical results are immediately conveyed to the treating doctor so that no time is lost in patient treatment. In addition the commitment of our organisation to Quality can be deduced from our various Accreditations notably NABL and CAP. What kind of challenges did the pandemic present in terms of operations of the company? How did you overcome those challenges? The biggest challenge that we faced was the fear of the disease in the initial days of the pandemic, but we were able to overcome it by regular training and providing all the required safety measures to our staff. In addition the involvement of senior management at the forefront standing with the frontline staff provided the much required boost for all. Needless to say 100 % commitment and trust of our workforce cannot be discounted for. What are the future plans in terms of branch/services expansion or addition of new technology and tests? A fully automated HLA laboratory is in the pipeline to support our organ transplant program. We are also looking to start more collection centres and strengthen our wellness centre.
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EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, CRISIS, REVOLUTIONS CURRENTLY PREVAILING IN THE CURRENT INDUSTRY ENVIORNMENT
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mr. Amit Bhatnagar, Founder and Director, Accuster Technologies Private Limited has done his B.Tech (Mechanical Engineering) from IIT-Roorkee, Masters from Penn State University, USA. He quit his plush job in Hollywood's famed Universal Studios and came back to India with a shear vision to create an impact and serve the nation. A serial entrepreneur, he has designed a portable laboratory & Lab on Bike (LaBike).
24 | December 2020
A
t the moment, Mankind has already witnessed a gigantic change in Technology enlargements, and almost each one of us knows how to communicate digitally and can use technology to make our lives easier. Technology has certainly made our lives better and changed the way we function. Where, health tech is the restraining and restoration, vaccines, pharmaceuticals and devices, medical procedures, and the systems where health is protected and maintained. Health technologies are brought at almost all levels of the health care structure from the basic to the ultramodern. Healthcare, being the most substantial industry has also undergone an enormous change
which has its pros and cons. Emerging Technologies in Healthcare and their impact Healthcare tech and innovations, such as AI (Artificial Intelligence), VR (Virtual reality /AR (Augmented reality), 3D-printing, robotics or nanotechnology is helping us with the simulations of real world scenarios and to communicate from where we are. I always believe that AI has the potential to restructure healthcare totally. AI calculations are able to excavate medical files and records, design treatment plans or create drugs faster than any healthcare medical professional. Virtual reality (VR) is changing the lives of patients and medical professionals; VR is used now to
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4Industry Inclina ons provide training to future surgeons and surgeons and doctors to practice surgeries. Augmented reality differs from VR in two aspects: the user does not lose the touch with reality which puts info into eye-sight quickly. These two different features allow AR to become a leading force in the future of medicine; both on the healthcare providers and the receivers’ side. As the future of healthcare is nearly associated with the empowerment of individuals as well as patients taking care of their health through technologies, I cannot miss out on health wearables, sensors and trackers, from my selection. These wearables are undoubtedly great devices to know more about our health and retake control over our own lives. The future of healthcare lies in working hand-in-hand with tech and healthcare professionals have to appreciate and embrace emerging healthcare technologies to stay relevant in the coming times. I believe this is the only way to keep going forward.
been inviolable. Discussing the personal details of one's life requires trust, which takes time and a series of in-person interactions to build. This is true in health care, where some of life's happy and worst moments involve a doctor. The human touch and senses should not be underestimated and are unlikely to happen via smart devices and smartphones or any gadgets. This may affect the technology in the future or now for that matter.
Expected Crisis
Revolutionary Changes currently prevailing in Healthcare Industry
Technology has always come up with its advantages and disadvantages. In the coming days because of the continued use of the advanced level of technology, people might lose trust which they build with the medical professionals through repeated meetings and the actual medical encounter. The bond between a patient and his/ her provider has
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Malfunctioning of Equipment: The biggest point of crisis of technology is when technology just doesn’t work. Technology is no doubt very useful and makes life easier and better, but when it fails, it can derail the entire work. This is true for institutions and organizations that are dependent on technology for their entire functioning. With this kept in mind, one needs to make sure that they have someone ready and accessible to fix any technical problems that may occur along with a backup.
medical unit) as many years back it was hard to get access to on time diagnostics because of the absence of medical centers in remote areas. Now, with the help of MOBILE LAB that can go till doorsteps, one can now have access to medical facilities anytime within the area of their comfort. Another Revolutionary change is IoT (Internet of things), a network of connected devices, along with the internet and the cloud, enables for a satellite exchange of data. Transferring this data is very easy and suitable. The point of understanding is that it does make our lives better and easier. The point to remember is that we should use our own human intelligence with tech for positive outcomes. If health care professionals keep this in mind, there’s no limit to how far the field can expand.
Technology can only improve our lives if we stand on its shoulder and if we are (at least) two steps ahead of it, and if we cling to this, the coordination and cooperation between people and tech may result in amazing achievements. One of the revolutionary changes currently prevailing in the healthcare industry is MMU’s (Mobile
December 2020 | 25
ONCQUEST LABORATORIES LIMITED
the avant-garde pathology & diagnostic laboratories
R
ecent research has proved that more than half of all cancer cases, and up to half of the cancer-related deaths are preventable!
Think about it. It essentially means between 2.4 million and 3.7 million avoidable deaths per year. A vast majority of these deaths, around 80% of them, occur in low and middleincome countries. Also, as per studies, in India, we see 1300 deaths due to cancer every day. These numbers are truly appalling. Although the whole world has been caught up in the disarray caused by the global pandemic of Covid-19, it would be unwise to turn a blind eye towards one of the major public health concerns. The shift of the demographic and economic trends in the past two decades and the resultant increase in rates of noncommunicable diseases such as cancer, has burdened the developed, developing, and underdeveloped countries alike. To combat this hazardous evolutionary development, one of the country’s leading pathology and diagnostic laboratory – the Oncquest Laboratories Ltd, spared no expense. Oncquest Laboratories Ltd. offers the most advanced pathological tests that can prove the basis of accurate treatment. While the labs perform various tests to diagnose different diseases using state of the art equipment, cancerrelated tests remain their primary focus. Oncquest has a two-decade legacy of trust, and accuracy in pathology testing. A favourite among clinicians, speciality hospitals, and other pathology labs, Oncquest is known for second opinion and final diagnosis using cutting-edge technology and prominent skills, for its excellence in Molecular and Clinical Diagnostics.
26 | December 2020
To provide a sense of reassurance, we bring to you the story of Oncquest and its director and chair of the medical advisory committee, Dr. Ravi Gaur (MD, Pathology). In the following interview, Dr. Gaur shares pieces of wisdom from his journey with Oncquest in the medical healthcare industry. Without further ado, let us dive right into the story and relish the value we are about to receive. Brief our readers about the company and its initial journey. Oncquest lab, promoted by Aditya C Burman, started its journey as a part of Dabur Pharma in the year 2002, as an advanced molecular diagnostic laboratory with an incisive diagnosis in the field of oncology. In the year 2007, Burman with support from few highly skilled scientific and industry experts, re-established its new independent identity i.e. Oncquest Laboratories Ltd, and made the cancer diagnostic business its main focus. Oncquest’ s early adoption and utilization of genetic sequencing technologies have resulted in many “first to market” assays, which have subsequently been adopted in several treatments and monitoring protocols. Innovation is an essential part of its DNA. Brief us about your professional journey in the company? What was the inspiration behind joining the diagnostic industry? I joined Oncquest in the year 2009, and together with Burman and team, decided to grow aggressively in the field of personalised diagnostics. I am a qualified oncology
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Most Reliable
Diagnostic and
Pathology Center to Watch
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We have set up advanced platform and quality driven technologies and made them available in the Indian market at an affordable cost
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Dr. Ravi Gaur (MD, Pathology)
pathologist by profession and have over 30 years experience in the field of pathology and healthcare management. I strongly believe in setting a new trend of pathology practice in India by introducing advanced assays, algorithms, equipment, and integrate information and communications technology (ICT) including artificial intelligence (AI). I always wanted to develop Indian-people-specific assays, technologies catering to India’s specific needs and ensure its delivery and benefit to the last man out in the post. I have served in the Indian Army, which helped me to take challenges head-on and think innovatively. Oncquest’s vision aligned well with my thought process. There have been a lot of ups and downs in my journey, but I never gave up. I have been constantly pushing my own boundaries, taking risks, and executing these risks with caution. Even if everybody says it is impossible, with determination, there is always something you can do. The last thing is to give up without trying. My parents have taught me that the three golden keys that unlock the door to excellence are determination, hard work and practice and I would like to add the fourth one: a good
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team. And if we can put a good team, we can achieve anything! Tell us about the services that the centre offers. Today the laboratory handles over 15000+ samples a day which are processed by a highly qualified team of pathologists, scientists, lab technicians with great precision and has earned its reputation for clinical excellence in the Indian market. Advance technologies and global quality systems at Oncquest, have ensured that it stays ahead of the curve, resulting in its association with some of the most advanced hospitals, super specialists, clinicians, and research organizations in the country. We have established strong credentials in the space of molecular diagnostics, sequencing pharmacogenomics, companion diagnosis, bioinformatics, biomarker studies, immunohistochemistry, immunology, molecular microbiology, haematology with a comprehensive test menu of super specialised pathology, general pathology and various other speciality laboratory assays with unparalleled service. From its first avatar as an R&D focused entity, Oncquest
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has evolved into a reference laboratory in the field of Oncology, and more recently into a multi-platform pathology services provider with core focus in molecular pathology, surgical pathology services, and hospital lab management. The company has been growing at a rate of 25-30% year-on-year. Please share the latest technology that the centre is utilizing to offer better services. Today Oncquest Laboratories has a state-of-the-art NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) and CAP (College of American Pathology) accredited laboratory at Gurgaon, which is fully equipped with advanced molecular diagnostic technologies like nextgeneration sequencing, advanced automated platforms of multiplex PCR (polymerase chain reaction), digital droplet PCR, advanced surgical pathology including immunohistochemistry, flow-cytometry, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), haematology, cytogenetics and much more. What are the unique propositions that the centre offers giving it an edge over competitors? Rapid change is the defining feature of pathology! In recent decades, health expectations have risen globally, a lot being done to make diagnostics more affordable, accessible, and accurate. We have set up advanced platform and quality driven technologies and made them available in the Indian market at an affordable cost. There is an upsurge of new testing methods to support initiatives such as personalised or precision medicine, also known as genomic medicine, and point-of-care testing. We work in developing personalized and precision medicine with genomics as a base for all diagnosis, new point of care, or near-patient testing technologies, intending to deliver quality and rapid diagnostic facilities. Our much-advanced technologies and the highly skilled team gives us strong edge over competitors.
included a significant decline in test volumes leading to severe financial pressure, setting up a process of work from home and remote meetings, need to ensure adequate inventory and supplies, staff mental wellbeing and safety measures, and growing uncertainty. I strongly believe that a successful company is made by committed people. Inherited from the promoters, I have constantly invested in the well-being of employees, truly taking care of their needs, and making the work environment stimulating and safe. Giving people a sense of purpose and fulfilment through their work is very important. I think this positive team culture helped us to address the challenge head-on. During the pandemic, my team had to work from the frontline, putting their own and family life at stake. The credit for facing the pandemic challenge, goes to my strong dedicated and committed team. The team worked with one single purpose to deliver services during this crisis time. What are the future plans in terms of branch/services expansion or addition of new technology and tests? Oncquest is committed to providing best-in-class diagnostics to all our stakeholders. Our aim is always to gratify our clients, with care and customised solutions, and through best-in-class laboratory practice and technologies. We are confident to work towards defining the future and to be the lab of choice for healthcare systems, and to be the most responsive source of quality, information, and knowledge. We have recently set up Asia’s one of the largest pathology testing facilities in Gurgaon which will work as a national reference lab. In addition, we are expanding our footprints in tier two and three cities. Strong investment in information technology, augmenting test menu, and smooth customer services are a few of our key plans, as we move ahead.
What kind of challenges did the pandemic present in terms of operations of the company? How did you overcome those challenges? The coronavirus pandemic disturbed the entire process flow from sample collection to processing. Initial challenges
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DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES for a Healthier Future Better
D
iagnostics laboratories have a very crucial role in the accurate examination of a condition, its subsequent detection and selection of line of treatment. For the highest degree of quality to be delivered, it is imperative to deploy advanced technology. Automation will be the key to this. Automated systems provide numerous advantages like faster diagnostic results and reports, error reduction, lesser human intervention, transparency in processes and smoother tracking. If these are connected to laboratory or hospital information systems, patient alerts or doctor alerts system can be initiated for faster management. Highend molecular testing also forms part of the automated systems. These have improved diagnosis turnaround time, caused greater awareness and hence greater clinical outcomes. During pandemics and mass diseases like COVID19 pandemic, rapid and accurate diagnosis is very essential. Molecular diagnosis has come to the rescue in such scenarios. RT PCR has become a household name and also it has gained the importance of Gold standard. High-end molecular testing is not only the future for infectious diseases diagnoses but also other diseases. One of the major challenges during this pandemic has been the supply and demand of testing kits. Bridging the gap between the supply and demand of testing kits was very crucial in the current scenario. These could
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be tackled easily with indigenous “made in India technologies” which can make the diagnosis available, accessible and affordable. In India, during this pandemic, many indigenous research and development technologies have risen to the occasion and have provided valuable solutions. They have been providing quality products with international standards. They have made disease management easier with successful outcomes. Though Diagnostics in urban India are of world standards, the same cannot be said about rural India. Rural India has an unorganised diagnostic system. There is a lack of sophisticated technologies. The need of the hour is a point of care technology which is affordable, easy to operate and requires less expertise. This has been addressed again by “made in India technologies”. These technologies would serve very well if exploited reasonably. They will solve a lot of health problems in rural India. The pandemic saw a fast emerging sector of Telemedicine. Telemedicine involves the use of telecommunications technology that helps healthcare professionals to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients without an in-patient visit. “No contact” patient management came to rescue in this pandemic and lockdown. While superior medical expertise and quality healthcare services are prevalent in the country, it is not easily available for the rural population. There is a massive growth potential for
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Expert’s View
Telemedicine in India. India is digitalising rapidly and there is a huge potential to tap this. As each individual outcome for each disease is unique, personalised medicine and genomics are the way forward. Human Genome Project has helped researchers to develop effective therapies and personalised treatment for diseases like cancer or other genetic disorders. Tailored treatment plans and guidance will prevent, diagnose and treat critical illness with more precision. Information technology has paved its way into the healthcare industry. Digital health records and their trends can pre-emptively diagnose diseases. Information technology can analyse health records to identify patterns that can point us in the direction of early diagnosis and prevention. This will help us live longer and lead safer, more productive lives.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr Roopa Viswanathan Iyer is the Founder and Managing Director of Qualilife Diagnostics, a speciality diagnostic centre for Infectious diseases. She is a Clinical microbiologist attached to various health institutions for Infection control consultations. She also teaches at Yerla Dental College. She has many publications and guest lectures to her credit.
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