Importance Of Upgrading Your Career In Healthcare Management – Times Now

By Mr. Sunil Sood, Chief Business Officer, Executive Education, Times Professional Learning

India’s healthcare system was stretched to its limits dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed the severe demand for trained healthcare management professionals. Executive education aims to address this need by equipping executives with the skills required to properly manage resources and talent in the healthcare system.

Covid-19 exposed the chinks in the armour of the health care systems across the globe, and it did not spare India. The pandemic unravelled the picture-perfect front of a healthcare system that seemed to flourish on paper, exposing the struggling system underneath. Fissured, struggling and collapsing were the main adjectives used when referring to the overburdened healthcare system as the second Covid-19 wave overwhelmed the country. Access to healthcare has always been a significant issue for the country. However, as the pandemic gripped the world, it highlighted the shortage of trained management personnel within the healthcare system. The devastation of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic made it clear that the Indian health care system had suffered years of neglect. At the same time, the pandemic presented opportunities to fill the gaps within the system and understand how it can be strengthened. 

In addition to doctors and nurses, trained healthcare management professionals are the need of the hour. Even remote areas that had sufficient access to healthcare centres suffered from poor management. As of 2017-2018, India spent only 1.28% of its GDP on healthcare facilities. Hence, India only had 0.55 beds for every 1000 people, even before the pandemic. Evidently, the management of resources within the healthcare system is a necessity. Unfortunately, India is not only struggling to produce doctors and nurses, but also healthcare management professionals. Thus, it is crucial to invest in training programmes for Healthcare Management professionals. These programmes ensure that individuals are equipped with the skill sets required to manage resources and talent in the healthcare system properly.

Skillsets Needs for Healthcare Management Roles

Professionals skilled in healthcare management are necessary to ensure the smooth running of a healthcare facilities. Even a routine check-up requires careful management; hence, it comes as no surprise that there is a growing need to invest in healthcare management professionals. Management skills in the healthcare industry are quite different to running a business. Before diving into what a healthcare management course needs to consist of, it is crucial to understand what skills employers look for. A combination of soft skills and technical skills are required to help candidates stand out to employers and advance their careers in the field. Budgeting, staff management, quality assurance and control, project management and strategic planning are some of the technical skills healthcare management professionals must possess. 

In addition to these, they need to possess soft skills including effective communication, collaboration and teamwork, problem-solving and critical thinking that will allow them to smoothly sail through any snags that arise in the process. To ensure sufficient cohesion between doctors, nurses, and support staff to minimise medical errors, healthcare management professionals need to build strong relationships and act as the thread that ties everyone together. They also need to be empathetic and emotionally intelligent since their environment is loaded with human sentiment that they must respect.

Executive Education to Address Skill Gaps

The lack of enough specialised management programmes in India for working professionals in the healthcare sector is alarming, especially considering what the country had to go through during the pandemic. The Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta aims to address the existing problem through their Post Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Management. The programme offered in collaboration with TimesTSW is designed to equip management professionals with the specialised skill sets they need to efficiently manage organisational healthcare systems. TimesTSW healthcare management programme offers cutting-edge multi-disciplinary course modules that are sure to prepare management professionals for the future of healthcare delivery. 

In an era where skill requirements are changing at a pace faster than the workforce can keep up with, executive education acts as a catalyst enabling the upskilling process. Through the best certificates in healthcare management, the workforce can be adequately equipped to address any future crises that might arise and propel the Indian healthcare system towards a brighter future. Access to quality healthcare is a universal human right, and healthcare managers are as essential as doctors in safeguarding this right.

Disclaimer: Content Produced by Times Professional Learning (TPL)