A youth icon of the healthcare industry, Mr Shubhang Arora, at 25, is the Executive Director and Head of Developments, Yashoda Group of Hospitals headquartered in Kaushambhi, Ghaziabad in the densely populated state of India-Uttar Pradesh. After his graduation in economics from New York University , in the US, he has returned to gradually take on the reins of the hospitals beginning with focus on operations. He brings with him a vision that is global in perspective to transform the healthcare sector with innovative ideas, excellence and compassion for mankind.
The upcoming Yashoda Medicity coming up in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad is creating a buzz in the healthcare sector. What is unique about this new healthcare project?
The Yashoda Medicity is our flagship project where I am deeply involved to ensure that this world-class medical facility is completed on schedule and is opened for treating people across economic strata, but is particularly accessible to the poor and needy. We aim to make this 800 bedded state-of the-art hospital among the top-ranking medical facility in Asia covering the entire spectrum of health services on a much larger scale that would include nuclear medicine, an advanced research centre and all the specialities which we currently have in all our three hospitals. Because India has some of the best doctors in the world and our health cost are very reasonable when compared to other countries such as Europe and the US, we are channelizing this synergy to encourage and strengthen medical tourism in India. I was instrumental in the signing of MOUs between Yashoda and almost 30 countries. We already have people coming in from different parts of the world for various treatments.
What else is the USP of the upcoming Yashoda Medicity?
Our objective is that for anyone coming from any part of the world to the medicity, they will find a doctor, they will find a team of diagnostic experts and they can be treated for any ailment they may be suffering from. We are leaving no stone unturned in getting the best of infrastructure, technology and drugs from leading global companies which are comparable to any other leading hospital in the world. The Yashoda Medicity, which will be a completely comprehensive health city in Indirapuram, shall be the new address as a premier medical facility in Asia. Within the next two years i.e., by 2022, we should be opening the hospital to the people seeking medical refuge.
Apart from the Yashoda Medicity, which other projects are currently coming up. Are there any expansion plans to outreach regions?
Currently, we have two major projects in hand which we will complete first. One is in Noida and another is a 300 bedded multi-super speciality hospital in Greater Noida. I am personally working on these two interesting projects of Yashoda. We did have opportunities to open Yashoda hospital in Delhi and in some rural areas in Haryana, but we are taking a couple of things at a time.
How has Yashoda coped with the Covid pandemic?
We have expanded much more than the original hospital space having taken over a few more blocks in the vicinity. This enabled us to turn an entire block away from the main building into a Covid facility. Because cross contamination of the Covid virus is so high, we have been extremely careful to ensure a completely different air circulation at the dedicated area for treating Covid patients. Having been in the medical sector for more than 30 years now, our experience and expertise in treatment attracted people from as far as Rajasthan, MP, UP, Bihar to be treated for Covid when the pandemic was at its peak. The former chief minister of UP, Mr Kalyan Singh, the current health minister in Uttar Pradesh and many other VVIPs were treated for Covid at Yashoda. As a private hospital, we have done thousands of free Covid tests for the economically poor, something which is unheard of in a private set-up. We have an excellent team of pulmonologist and critical care specialists headed by Dr R.K. Mani. We are doing random PC-RTC testing, plasma therapy, steroids, vaccinations etc., which are the best that you can find anywhere in the world. But what is of paramount importance is the increasing trust that people are reposing in us which is because of the goodwill that we enjoy for the kind of work that we do so selflessly. Getting that recognition is very important and that comes only from consistent and dedicated work.
Could you highlight some CSR activities by Yashoda Hospital?
We have adopted Masauta village in Ghaziabad district where we are investing a lot of resources to transform the village having all basic amenities for healthy living such as conveniences for the school, potable water, food, sanitization of the village, constructing toilets etc. For St Jude’s, we do free testing i.e., diagnostics such as scans and MRI’s, which cost anything between Rs 15,000-20,000, for orphans and abandoned children. Though it is not a part of the corporate business, we have a dedicated team to look after many charitable initiatives of Yashoda, done purely on humanitarian bases. I would like to emphasise that as a health institution Yashoda is not a profit based one, rather we are here to serve people and help those who cannot afford or have access to best medical treatment and care. If a person is coming to a hospital they are suffering and are vulnerable, so it is our duty to heal and cure people. This is what makes the medical profession so unique as compared to any other calling.
Who do you consider as your inspiration or whom would you like to emulate?
The teachings of Lord Buddha have deeply impacted and influenced me. As living beings, we all suffer in some way or the other. However, everyone has the capacity to mitigate the suffering of another living being and that is the biggest act of service to God that one can do. So, I truly believe that and try to follow that philosophy abiding by it to run our hospitals. I would do anything in my capacity to alleviate the sufferings of human beings and animals as much as possible. If we all think on these lines it would transform the earth into a heaven.
What makes you so unique in the healthcare space though you are not a medical professional yourself?
I would say that as a 25-year-old young professional in the healthcare space, there are not many like me. I have so far employed 3000 people and am overseeing so many administrative operations. It gives me immense pride that though very young, I could help ensure a huge turnover as far as financials are concerned, with a fresh and innovative approach bringing in a new dynamic to this healthcare space. And that is something that I feel is unique about me and unique about Yashoda. Also, we are a very young spirit as far as our ethos is concerned and as a young professional, I think I have a lot to contribute and I am working towards that everyday. I believe in Vasudev Kutumbakam, where the whole world is one family as it is the creation of one Almighty and this is the way we go about with service to mankind.
Yashoda Group of Hospitals, Kaushambi Ghaziabad Delhi NCR
