In an exclusive conversation with CXO Media and APAC Media, Saurabh Gupta, Regional COO, KIMS Hospital, outlines their technology adoption, ranging from Dozee AI to Da Vinci robotic surgery. He elaborates on how KIMS is focusing on technology to make healthcare affordable.
As the Regional Chief Operating Officer at KIMS Hospitals, could you please elaborate on your core roles and responsibilities?
As regional COO, my role is to ensure that we provide better healthcare to the region by bringing cutting-edge technology and personalised care near to their home by establishing and operating multi-superspeciality hospitals in the underserved areas. Once the hospital becomes operational, the responsibility shifts to increasing the access to healthcare services to the masses
KIMS-Sunshine is leveraging AI and predictive health technologies to optimize patient care. Can you provide insights into how these innovations are being implemented and their impact on patient outcomes?
Rapid AI: Enhancing Stroke Patient Care
Our collaboration with Rapid AI amplifies KIMS Hospitals’ capabilities in predictive health analytics. Rapid AI analyses vast amounts of patient data in real-time,
enabling healthcare professionals to anticipate and mitigate potential health risks, leading to improved patient outcomes and reduced hospitalizations. The Rapid AI stroke portfolio combines advanced imaging and workflow, enabling faster, more accurate triage or transfer decisions, dramatically improving stroke workflow and patient care. Rapid AI enables healthcare professionals to anticipate and mitigate potential health risks.
Qure AI: Fast Reporting on Chest X-rays
The integration of Qure AI’s advanced diagnostic tools enhances diagnostic accuracy and efficiency. Using state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms, Qure AI aids clinicians in making informed decisions, leading to faster diagnosis and treatment initiation.
One of the significant initiatives under your leadership has been the Enhanced Patient Safety with Smart Wards program. How would you measure its success, and what tangible benefits have been observed from implementing Dozee’s AI-based Contactless Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) and Early Warning System (EWS)?
Dozee Health has significantly transformed our patient monitoring processes through its contactless remote patient monitoring system. Key use cases include:
- Remote Patient Monitoring: The system allows us to continuously monitor patients’ vital signs without physical contact, which is particularly beneficial for patients in critical care and those recovering from surgery. This capability has been essential in managing our step-down ICU beds.
- Early Warning System: Dozee’s AI-based early warning system alerts our clinical staff to any abnormalities in patients’ vital signs, enabling timely interventions. This has improved our response times and helped in the early detection of potential complications.
- Operational Efficiency: By automating vital sign monitoring, Dozee has significantly reduced the time our nursing staff spends on manual checks, allowing them to focus more on direct patient care. On average, a reduction of about 30-40 minutes of nursing time per patient per day is seen in hospitals.
- Integration with Existing Systems: Dozee’s technology integrates seamlessly with our existing hospital management systems, allowing for the centralized monitoring of multiple patients simultaneously. This capability enhances our ability to manage patient flow and optimize bed utilization.
- In-Hospital Monitoring: Step-Down ICUs: Dozee can be used in step-down ICUs or General wards to monitor patients who are not critically ill but still require regular monitoring. This frees up critical care resources for more severe cases.
- Early Warning System: By continuously monitoring vital signs, Dozee can alert healthcare providers to early signs of deterioration, allowing for timely intervention and improving patient outcomes.
- Non-Invasive Monitoring: For patients who need regular monitoring but find traditional methods intrusive or uncomfortable, Dozee offers a non-invasive alternative. This is especially useful for long-term hospital stays.
- Home Health Care: Elderly Care: For elderly patients living alone or with minimal supervision, Dozee provides peace of mind to caregivers and family members by continuously monitoring their health status and alerting them in case of anomalies.
- Chronic Pain Management: Patients dealing with chronic pain conditions can use Dozee to track their sleep quality and other vitals, helping their healthcare providers adjust treatment plans based on accurate data.
KIMS has also partnered with Intuitive to launch Da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery systems across India. Could you walk us through how this collaboration has advanced surgical capabilities and what its future implications are for the healthcare sector?
The agreement focuses on expanding robotic surgery programmes across India, with a Robotic Surgery Centre of Excellence to be established at KIMS-PES Hospital, Bengaluru. The centre will provide training for robotic surgeries across specialities to all KIMS branches.
The collaboration will introduce 25 robotic surgery programmes using da Vinci robotic-assisted surgical systems in states including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. Key deployment locations include cities such as Nagpur, Nashik, and Thane in Maharashtra; Bengaluru in Karnataka; Secunderabad, Begumpet, Kondapur, and Gachibowli in Telangana; and Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, and Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh. The expansion also extends to Kannur in Kerala.
Through this collaboration, KIMS Hospitals aims to improve access to minimally invasive surgical care in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, enhancing the availability of advanced surgical technology where access has been limited. The collaboration is also intended to ensure that patients are not denied treatment due to economic constraints.
Reflecting on your journey so far at KIMS Hospitals, how would you describe the organization’s growth, challenges, and key milestones? What is the roadmap for KIMS Hospitals in the coming years, particularly in terms of technology adoption and patient care?
KIMS mirrors two decades of Dedication, Dynamism and Distinction, making it a much sought-after destination in healthcare. In 2000, KIMS began its journey as a Single Hospital in a small town called Nellore in Andhra Pradesh. KIMS has now grown into 25 centres of excellence with 5000+ beds and 40 specialities and super specialities spread across four states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Kerala.
Driven by a vision to provide exceptional and affordable healthcare, we have steadily grown into a leading multidisciplinary integrated healthcare provider in
South India, with a focus on tertiary and quaternary healthcare at affordable costs.
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AT KIMS HOSPITALS- KIMS has invested in a variety of tools to help doctors diagnose and treat conditions effectively. The equipment allows us to offer minimally invasive procedures, leading to faster recovery times for our patients and reduced expenditure. KIMS is generally an early adopter in patient-centric technology.
MRGufs, 4-Arm HD da Vinci Robotic Surgical System, O-Arm Scanner, Novalis Tx Linear Accelerator, Spy Glass, 3 Tesla MRI, Fibroscan, Mako Robotic for Knee Replacement, Stealth Station S8, Cuvis Ortho, GK (Gamma Knife), Tulsapro are some of the advanced technologies used at KIMS hospitals
The healthcare sector, particularly in India, faces significant skill gaps. How do you perceive the existing skilling gap, and what measures can be taken to address this challenge to ensure better healthcare delivery in the future?
With 1.3 billion people living in 3.3 million square kilometers, India is a country with enormous healthcare delivery issues. Despite India being the most populous country in the world, its healthcare system suffers from poor health indicators and a lack of workers. To address these challenges, there is a pressing need to enhance healthcare education and skilling, which are pivotal to building a robust, effective, and accountable health system.
India’s existing bed-to-population ratio is 1.3 /1000 people compared to 3 beds/1000 people as per WHO standards. The doctor-to-patient ratio is 0.7 / 1000 people. The healthcare workforce in India is significantly undersupplied in the healthcare industry. To fulfill the increasing demand, an additional 1.54 million doctors and 2.4 million nurses are believed to be required.
The shortage emphasises how important it is to fund skill-building initiatives that effectively close the gap. India is committed to developing a strong healthcare workforce over the long term. By 2034, the government aims to have at least 2.5 doctors and 5 nurses per 1,000 people.
AI-powered platforms, integrated learning programs, and strategic workforce planning can improve throughput multifold and improve access at many levels.
Rajneesh De & Janvi Chauhan
