The healthcare businesses including all stakeholders are evolving rapidly and the future looks radically different from present. People now have easy access to healthcare information, which keeps them updated. Digitalization and integrated patient-centric approach is giving rise to databases, thus changing the nature of how healthcare operates. Also, technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Additive manufacturing, and Machine Learning are acting as game changers in the healthcare industry, and will bring about major changes in incoming times.
‘Healthcare is all about providing best services with superior patient outcomes.’ A Hospital chain that has proved just that is Wockhardt Hospitals (WHL). Its main focus and aim being on clinical quality and patient-centric care, Wockhardt Hospitals are bridging the path through best medical practices, best nurses and doctors, best teams at par, best of the technology, and updated with the best medical practices. To gain further insights into this journey full of innovation and patient care we bring you an exclusive interview with Zahabiya Khorakiwala who is the Managing Director and driving force behind this new-age chain of multi super-speciality Wockhardt Hospitals. She is deeply involved on all strategic and operational activities of the company. Under her leadership WHL has achieved profound success and is soaring new heights with each step. In 2018, under her leadership WHL launched a super-speciality hospital in Wardha district of Maharashtra. Zahabiya strongly believes that healthcare industry is on the cusp of paradigm shift and today the three stakeholders of this industry – government, private players and the society have an exciting opportunity to collaborate and redefine India’s health system in order to power the nation’s growth and development, ensuring effective utilization of the resources- Capital, drugs, technology and human resources.
- Kindly brief us about Wockhardt Hospitals.
Wockhardt Hospitals is a chain of tertiary care super-specialty hospitals with facilities in, Nagpur, Nasik, Vashi (Navi Mumbai), Rajkot, Surat, Wardha, South Mumbai (SOBO) & North Mumbai (NOBO). Our establishment of 350 bed Super Speciality Greenfield Hospital in South Mumbai – The New Age Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai Central, which got accredited by JCI (Just Commission International) within 3.5 years of its establishment. Our facility has a Pediatric Cardiac Sciences Centre, with a renowned super-specialist team, and state-of-the-art technology, of global standard. All our hospitals have state-of-the-art infrastructure and globally benchmarked processes to enable quality healthcare and patient safety. The overall 1500 bedded hospitals have over 1000 Standard Operating Procedures or Protocols for both clinical and non-clinical processes in place. The guiding philosophy of Life Wins! Stands for serving and enriching the quality of life of patients.
We has developed proprietary novel Autologous Growth Factors therapies which provides drastically improved clinical outcome over the existing available treatments including diabetic foot ulcers, wound healing, musculo-skeletal pain management, hair regrowth, scar less surgery, broken bone healing and aesthetics.
- Kindly provide us in brief about your organization and how has the company progressed over the years?
Embracing innovations and constant up gradations in health services have been our forte that has been constant over the years. We at WHL have identified three keys areas that have been the mainstays over the years and have contributed to our success.
Focus on Quality and Patient Care – We at WHL practice highest quality standard to deliver superior clinical care. We have ensure that all our hospitals are NABH accredited and also the group’s flagship Hopsital the ‘New Age Wockhardt Hospitals’ at Mumbai central has received the coveted JCI accreditation within first three and half years of its operation.
Group of Hospitals – Being a group of seven super-speciality tertiary & quaternary care hospitals has its own merits such as
- Exchange of best practices,
- Patients transfer/mobility,
- Doctors/Consultant expertise sharing
Strong presence in Mumbai − We have 3 hospitals in Mumbai of about 750 beds all together. We are able to bring in new modalities of treatment and easily incorporate it in our Mumbai hospitals because it is a metro city with an appetite for innovation.
WHL was associated with Boston based Partners Medical International (PMI) for 17 years. This exclusive association has given us access to a network of Harvard-affiliated hospitals around the world and their immense expertise and knowledge, ensuring that we adopt and deliver global best practices at our super-speciality tertiary care hospitals.
- Mention any awards and appreciations that your organization has received.
WHL is committed to serve top-notch premium medical services and therefore the management continuously works upon bringing in innovative products and unique services that are helpful for the patients. We have been on the peak of success in delivering healthcare service and this has been recognized by various organizations, which have presented us with countless awards and appreciations, globally and nationally namely; Innovation in Quality of Service Delivery: Wockhardt hospitals, Best Marketing Campaign in Healthcare: Wockhardt Hospital, Surat; Best Multispecialty Hospital, Saurashtra & Kutch region & Wockhardt Hospital, Rajkot; Best Dialysis service care provider: Wockhardt Hospital, North Mumbai; Wockhardt Hospitals shines at the World HRD Congress with 21 awards for excellence in Human Resource; Wockhardt Hospitals South Mumbai won the AHPI Award 2016 in the category of “Best place to work,” and Wockhardt Hospitals Nashik has won the AHPI Award 2016 in the category of “Nursing Excellence.”
WHL has been a star since its inception, our world class infrastructure and selfless patient care has earned us the NASSCON, Healthcare Transformation Award for AI & Cognitive and Facilitation Impact Awards – GOLD, International Association of Facilitators, in 2017.
2018 was a marvelous year for us; we received three prestigious accolades; AHPI Global Conclave, Nursing Excellence Award, Pride of India Awards, Award for The Best Customer Service Program in Healthcare, and Et Now- Making of Developed India (Modi) Awards, Best HR Practices.
- Innovation is what takes you forward. What are the steps that WHL has taken for this, to remain at the top of your game?
WHL has a dedicated Research & Development facility that tirelessly strives to come up with novel and innovative technology that can ease patient care and treatment. Our facility is also equipped with latest and state-of-the-art technology and equipment. This has helped us to develop proprietary novel Autologous Growth Factor Concentrate (GFC) therapies, which provides improved outcome over existing available treatments for various conditions.
Growth factors are a family of diverse substances found naturally in the body. These essentially promote and stimulate biological processes and growth. They are immensely capable of stimulating cellular growth, vascularization, proliferation, tissue regeneration, and collagen synthesis. Some of the conditions for which GFC technology has proven benefits are:
Growth Factor Concentrate Treatment: Emergent choice for treating Osteoarthritis (OA)
Scientists have devised a novel technique that has the potential to repair cartilage damaged by OA, alleviate pain and prevent the need of surgery. This technique is called the Growth Factor Concentrate (GFC) Treatment. The Growth Factor Concentrate (GFC) treatment involves drawing the patient’s blood and using a centrifuge to concentrate the platelets, which are rich in the growth factors. A special technique is then used to extract, concentrate and activate these growth factors that the body uses in various healing processes. The concentrated and activated Growth Factors are then re-injected into the joints affected by Osteoarthritis, where the growth factors can be used by the body to heal.
All currently available treatments of Osteoarthritis leads to symptomatic improvement and pain relief only, the GFC treatment leads to not only Side-effects free pain-relief but also has the potential to heal and regenerate OA damaged cartilage.
Growth Factor Concentrate (GFC) Treatment for Difficult to Heal Bedsores
For large difficult to heal bed sores so far surgery was the only option, recently cell biologists have developed an innovative topical (unlike surgery) treatment that includes application of Growth Factors extracted out of patients own blood that initiates accelerated wound healing leading to a complete wound surface recovery. Apart from a highly trained nursing team that can greatly reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers in chronic bedridden patients, the GFC treatment is a phenomenal option for patients who are already suffering from bedsore. My team has treated several bed sores patients with GFCs preventing major complications and providing complete relief to patients.
Growth Factor Concentrates (GFC) Treatment for Sports Ailments
There is great news for recreational and professional athletes and sportspersons with painful musculoskeletal conditions or any chronic injury that seriously hampers their training. Scientists have developed a novel treatment that uses a patient’s own ‘supercharged’ blood to heal soft-tissue injuries. The technique involves drawing the patient’s blood and using a centrifuge to concentrate the platelets, which are rich in the growth factors. A special technique is then used to extract, concentrate and activate these growth factors that the body uses in various healing processes. The concentrated and activated Growth Factors are then re-injected into an area of chronic tissue injury, where the growth factors can be used by the body to heal the injured tissue.
Diabetic Foot Ulcer: Foot Ulcers can now be Totally Healed with Non-Amputation Techniques
People with diabetes are at a higher risk of developing the most dreaded complication; of diabetic foot ulcers. During an open or closed injury to the skin, the tissue that gets damaged is healed by a makeup phenomenon termed wound healing. It being a natural phenomenon, wound healing is typically taken care of by the body’s innate immune mechanism of action that works consistently almost every time. Nevertheless, a slight help in promoting healing would not hurt. According to a recent therapeutic development application of growth factors topically, enhances the normal healing process. Wound repair is initiated by growth factors released from platelets. At the moment, cell biologists around the globe including our country have come up with an possibility for non-healing ulcer treatment termed- ‘New Age ‘Concentrated Growth Factor.’
Autologous material– taken from the patient himself, potential to heal all non-healing ulcers, and prevents amputation; are some of the advantages of our new-age ‘Concentrated Growth Factor’ technology.
Nearly Scarless Surgeries-that are Aesthetically Better
The GFC (Growth Factor Concentrate) technology is a remarkable new innovation that will be able to minimize and significantly reduce surgical scarring giving superior cosmetic results to patients. Growth Factors are naturally occurring substances found in platelets which are capable of stimulating cellular growth proliferation, healing, and cellular differentiation. Scientists have found an efficient and rapid methodology of extracting a very high concentration of these growth factors from patient’s own blood called ‘Growth Factor Concentrate (GFC)’ which can then be re-applied to the incision post-surgery. The GFC aids in healing by attracting undifferentiated cells in the newly formed matrix, triggering cell division and hence accelerated healing in surgical incisions. The use of GFC represents a greater similarity to the natural healing process thereby leading to a nearly scar less surgical incisions.
Hair Regrowth through Follirich
Utilizing Growth Factor Concentrate (GFC) Technology, Wockhardt Hospitrals have developed a kit called ‘Follirich’ Kit which gives ready to inject high potency Growth Factor in the scalp of the patients which helps in increasing the hair thickness by 50% and prevent hair fall in individuals.
Face Rejuvenation
Growth Factor concentrates interacts with cells in the subcutaneous tissues, such as fibroblasts, endothelial cells and stem cells and after binding to their cellular receptors, they activate intracellular signaling events mediating cell proliferation, migration, survival and production of extracellular matrix proteins in the skin. This results in tissue rejuvenation. Its application for superficial or deep dermal stimulation leads to skin rejuvenation and facial volumisation.
The Advantages of GFC Technology
- SAFE/ Autologous material-taken from the patient himself
- Potential to rapidly heal all kinds of surgical incision
Due to this ability of our GFC technology our cardiac surgery patients will also be able to have an aesthetically better, nearly scar less surgery. This will have a very positive cosmetic and psychological impact on many of WHL’s patients.
