Lately, Department of Hospital Administration, AIIMS, New Delhi conducted research on the competencies of Healthcare Leaders in India to have an insight into how competent Indian Healthcare Leaders are, what competencies they have and what new skills and competencies they need to acquire to lead their medical organizations effectively.
The research founded that majority of the participants felt that they are lacking the following necessary leadership and managerial skills and competencies required for effective leadership of the organization:
- Accountability
- Strategic Orientation
- Relationship Building
- Process Management
- Financial Management
- Achievement Orientation
- Performance Management
- Human Resource Management
While it was a surprising finding but understandable as well given the fact that leaders in medical organizations are often promoted from clinical backgrounds and not from managerial backgrounds leaving the need for the development of core competencies related to leadership and administration overlooked.
Well, the good reality is that these leadership skills and competencies can be acquired through conscious effort and training. After all, learning is a continuous process.
Accordingly, AIIMS organized “Healthcare Executive Management Development Programme” – a training program focused to “enhance healthcare leaders’ abilities to plan, organize, control, and lead their organizations and enable them discover new ways to handle issues, seize challenges and take their organizations and people to new directions
The program was an 8-Day fully residential program held from 2nd-9th February at Fortune JP Palace, Mysuru, India and facilitated a platform for experience sharing, case studies, problem-based learning, lectures and interactive sessions by experienced dignitaries in the field of medicine. Professionals with vast experience in the medical field who are in leadership positions participated in the program.
In the program, Air Marshal (Dr) Pawan Kapoor, AVSM, VSM, and BAR (Retd), Former Director General of Medical Services (IAF), Vice Chancellor of Lincoln American University, School of Medicine (LAU) was invited to speak on the issue of “Quality & Patient Safety in Healthcare” and “Hospital Accreditation including NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers) & NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) Certification”.
During the program, Air Marshal (Dr) Pawan Kapoor guided the participants about accreditation, the importance of getting accredited and the purpose of accreditation. Air Marshal (Dr) Pawan Kapoor clearly pointed out the purpose of accreditation in his own words:
“Accreditation means when an external review of quality is carried out by an independent and autonomous body which can’t be influenced to grant/ withdraw the accreditation status. It aims at organization development. It doesn’t aim at blame and shame. It is meant to improve the quality of healthcare continually”
Air Marshal (Dr) Pawan Kapoor also emphasized the need for quality and safety in medical care and discussed various ways in which health care services can be improved in the country through effective leadership of the healthcare organizations. He apprised the august audience on simple measures that save lives and are cost effective. These relate to Accurate Patient Identification, proper Hand Hygiene, Surgical Safety Checklist, fulfilling the “6 RIGHTs” of medication administration i.e. Right Client, Right Route, Right Drugs, Right Dose, Right Time, and Right Documentation, Combating Antibiotic Resistance and prevention of Healthcare-associated Infections.
The program was instrumental in the training of healthcare leaders on HR Management, Legal & Ethical issues, Equipment Management, Financial Management, Hospital Operations & Performance, and Quality & Patient Safety.
It is expected that the program will help healthcare professionals improve the way they lead, take the right decisions. do the right things at the right time in the right circumstances and enhance their organizational performance, growth, productivity, and services which will result in efficient and effective management of healthcare institutions in the country, that will translate to safe and less costly health care to the patients.
