The evolution of humans has seen a lot of changes within itself. Changes, that were essential for their transformation to attain the advancement of society. The process of transformation has inherited humans with different abilities, physically and behavior-wise.
The greatest trait that mankind has inherited since its existence is Humbleness. But, in the modern era, with high-altitude skyscrapers and space tech solutions grabbing the spotlight, the deep-rooted and the most essential element of human capital—humbleness, is being overshadowed and the significance of this human attribute is getting blurred.
Breaking the norm of this vicious cycle is Centre Medical de Botour. It is on a mission to establish peace and care in the world. It is the first ISO 9001: 2015 certified hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with core values of Passion, Empathy, Excellence, and Ethics.
These values require a good leader to be followed. Justifying the saying, stay true in the dark, and humble in the spotlight, Mrs. Hema Gupta has been the ideal Managing Director of the organization.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Mrs. Hema, please brief our audience about the Centre Medical de Botour, Kinshasa, DRC. What has been your source of inspiration for venturing into the healthcare industry?
The socioeconomic status of DR Congo has been more marginalized in Central Africa. They are deprived of basic healthcare facilities. Especially public facilities are not accessible to most people, maybe because of affordability or accessibility in their respective communities. Due to this the major group of the population always remain deprived. Although they also play an important role in our development. The direct contribution of health to human capital formation and socio-economic development is unquestionable and well recognized. So, a modern hospital in the local town is essential for local people. Due to a huge population, DR Congo faces a double burden of diseases: Malaria, Diabetes, Hypertension, Stroke, Chronic respiratory diseases, HIV, Tetanus, Measles, Rubella, leprosy, and so on. So, this has been realized to improve the health condition of those diseases affecting people.
Please tell us about yourself and shed some light on your journey as the Managing Director of Centre Medical de Botour, Kinshasa, DRC.
I never had a goal to become MD, instead wanted to solve problems related to the health of the people. There is an old saying in the business that is, to find a problem and fix it. That’s how I was thinking to help people of DRC with their health-related issues. The role came with a mission to look after the health of people living in DRC and their relatives. The majority of the people of DR Congo are still deprived of modern healthcare facilities and also dependent on government health structures for treatment and in private hospitals, they fall into paying hefty bills. DR Congo since independence achieved much progress in the public health domain, but the rich and the politically blessed can extract major services from the public health system. Public health has played a vital role in protecting and promoting the health of rural communities across the nation. In many of these communities, public health offices and personnel are the only providers of health services.
What core values does the hospital run on? What are its mission and vision?
The CMB has been established with core values of Passion, Empathy, Excellence, and Ethics. The Mission of our Multispecialty care in DRC has been enhanced by education and research in collaboration with medical colleges that are accessible to all upcoming medical professionals. And our vision is to become the leader in upholding the highest standards of multispecialty care in Kinshasa, DRC, a self-reliant institution responsive to the health needs of all ethnicity living in DRC.
What makes your hospital different from traditional modes of treating patients who are dealing with several illnesses?
In contrast with available services in Kinshasa, our hospital brings 4 self-defining traits for patients suffering from illnesses.
- The culture of excellence is deeply embedded in our clinical team, they do a root cause analysis of patients’ conditions and take appropriate action for them. Fostering this culture of excellence in our hospital helped us to inspire and keep them motivated to put their best foot forward at all times.
- We strongly believe that the nursing staff is the most important caregiver in the hospital. Medical Consultants and Duty doctors interact with patients occasionally, whereas nursing staffs are the ones who are in touch more frequently. An efficient nurse would provide the correct care and empathetic behavior that makes all difference in the patient’s experience in the hospital.
- The key to the success of the relationship between patients and the hospital is timely communication. What the patient and most importantly their anxious attendants want is communication. Communication about the health status of the patient, communication about the tests, the treatment, and the cost is what make them believe in your decisions.
- Transparent pricing is the main source of confidence in our patients. There is a social belief that hospitals overcharge for the services as no one is to see what they are charging for. Hence, we believe transparency in pricing with timely communication results in satisfied patients.
What specific services align with the idea of delivering patient-centric care to the patients at your hospital?
We have a patient management system in place which records all patients’ medical history and prescriptions.
- All specialists of doctors are available in the hospital which caters to all specialties and super specialties.
- We have partnered with all available insurance companies in Kinshasa that are serving patients.
- We have one of the biggest dialysis centers in Kinshasa where we can do 5 sessions at the same time.
- We have one modern dental clinic with an attached dental lab which serves the laboratory requirement of all independent dental clinics and government hospitals.
- We have a dedicated blood bank in the hospital that takes care of patients in emergency care.
Tell us about how patients benefit from the direct bill insurance facility at the hospital.
The poor people of the country are neither capable of bearing their health expenditure nor conscious of health, nutrition, and sanitation. Pervading poverty is, therefore, a major challenge for ensuring health care for the growing population. Almost all of our rural population do not get healthy medical services. They are deprived of money or political problems which is why they remain sick over the years. Hence, we have partnered with all insurance companies i.e., GGA, Activa, Rawsur Insurance, and are offering cashless facilities to the people of DRC.
To what extent does technology play a role at your company in catering to the needs of patients?
In our hospital all OPD, IPD, Diagnostic, and Pharmacy are digital. We are very active in social awareness through the digital platform. We are actively involved in organizing various CMEs and conferences with medical fraternities in partnership with international medical experts. We have all modern types of machinery and medical equipment for diagnosis i.e., Electrophoresis machine for Sickle cell anemia, RTPCR, ECG, EEG, Radiology, MRI, etc.
What advice would you like to offer to budding entrepreneurs who wish to venture into the Healthcare Industry?
- Area of Expertise: As an inspiring entrepreneur it is very important to realize your strength and build the business based on your area of expertise.
- Networking: Be open to networking with all sectors of business, which will help to be updated in healthcare. Networking makes publicity easy and opens a venue for the growth and development of your business.
- Be positive: When opening a healthcare business be aware that ups and downs are inevitable. Try to keep a positive attitude towards all situations which will keep you going and fight for success.
How do you envision Centre Medical de Botour, Kinshasa, DRC’s operations and services in 2022 and beyond?
At the moment, the Centre Medical De Botour is heavily involved in improving its facilities and knowledge of doctors to keep up with world-class standards, expanding its capacity by building 2 more hospitals of CMB and upgrading its human and technological resources to meet the increasing demand for its services. Amidst this the vision of CMB is to remain in focus in terms of its primary mission: to care for those who need the best of what medical science with a social conscience has to offer in DR congo.
Please provide us with a few client testimonials and awards or recognition (if any) that best highlight the position of your hospital in the industry.
Centre Medical de Botour is one of the leading healthcare providers in Kinshasa/DRC. Our hospital is renowned for its medical infrastructure and expertise, as we are the first ISO 9001:2015 certified hospital in DR Congo. Our state-of-the-art laboratory results for RTPCR are govt. approved for international travel. We are very proud of our Medicine Director who has been awarded many times as the best Oncologist in Central West Africa from Zenith Global health. We are the house of the best doctors in the country, supported by high patient ethics, modern technologies, and research-based care in a warm and comforting environment.
