South East Asia Regions face dearth of HR Management Profession

One of the globally recognized and leading healthcare research University of the country, The IIHMR University, organised it’s 19th convocation ceremony on 5th June, 2016 at the IIHMR University Campus. Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South East Asia Region, New Delhi alongwith Dr. J.P. Gupta, IAS, Commissioner (Health)  and Principal Secretary (Public Health & Family Welfare), Govt. of Gujarat conferred degrees to the students of MBA Hospital and Health Management, MBA Pharmaceutical Management and students of the Master of Public Health. The welcome note was delivered by Dr. (Brig.) S.K. Puri, Prof. Advisor, IIHMR University and the entire event was compared by, Dr. (Coln.) Ashok Kaushik, Dean Academic and Students Affairs, IIHMR University    

A total of 112 students of MBA Hospital and Health Management, 12 students from MBA Pharmaceutical Management and 5 students from the third cohort of Master of Public Health (MPH), were awarded degrees during the convocation ceremony. 3 students received gold medals for their outstanding performance, Ms. Sheeba from MBA Hospital Management, Ms. Risho singh from MBA Health Management and Mr. Khush Dua from MBA Pharmaceutical Management. The IIHMR University offered an excellent placements to the students of the current batch with the highest pay package of 14.2 lakhs p.a.

Dr. SD Gupta, President, IIHMR University said, “The IIHMR University gives great credit to the Govt. of Gujarat for it’s valued contribution in recruiting 35 students to be a part of their public health systems. Today the Gujarat Health Systems is being adopted as a model by many other states for better management of the health systems, monitoring and evaluation and project management. The students of IIHMR University are also hired by various other states and are appreciated for demonstrating their managerial skills in improving the efficiency, effectiveness and quality of health care services in these states. The IIHMR University has made phenomenal contributions in the areas of management  research, management education and also in health services and capacity building. The IIHMR University has worked closely with the WHO and has conducted The National Polio Survelliance Audit with the support of WHO.”

Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South East Asia Region said, “Over the years IIHMR University has contributed much to building management capacities in a variety of ways over the years in the form of Hospital Management, Pharmaceutical Management or management at the primary care. IIHMR University has become a major destination for training and capacity development in many areas. The Human Resource Management is a grave necessity in all the countries of the South East Asia regions.”

She added, “The healthcare landscape is changing. There is no one model that suits all. We have health services which are solely by the government, by the private sector and those which are a mix of the public and the private sector. We in India will need to incorporate some more changes and innovate in the Pharmaceutical sector, would need to think of new ways in which the healthcare services are rendered.  Research is essential to ensure the right mix of technologies to serve todays health needs. Our country needs to increase investments in Reseach and also in the healthcare sector. This means that the total dedicated contribution from the GDP should increase and is currently not more than 1%.”     

Dr. JP Gupta, IAS, Commissioner (Health) and Principal Secretary (Public Health & Family Welfare), Govt. of Gujarat on congratulating students, said, “I am gald to be invited by the IIHMR University to confer the bright minds who will shape the future of our country. Health Management is needs newer and brighter ideas. Health Management so fare was considered only for doctors, nurses and other, The IIHMR University has taken the effort to develop health management professionals and has changed the face of health not just being restricted to doctors and nurses. The students who have been recruited in the health systems set up have become extremely important as they have contributed immensely for making the health systems in Gujarat a huge success. We are looking forward to this continued association.”

Dr. JP Gupta shared a few mantra’s of success, he said, “ ‘Be There’- this is to be focused in ones career and choose and option that suits you the best. It is important to justify your work and bring the best to the job. The second mantrs is ‘Be Prepared’- He said that it is important to make the most of a situation. It is important that one should be prepared to make use of the situation, grab and opportunity for a better outcome. The third mantra was, ‘Be a student’- one must not stop the learning process and must constantly upgrade and update oneself. The fifth was, ‘Be Compassionate’- One must be alive and must understand the needs of others. One must not be obsessed with oneself. ”

The IIHMR University has consolidated its focus on research in health policy and programme management since its inception. The IIHMR University is the first institution that has started offering management programs in the healthcare sector and has graduated over 1500 students since it’s establishment. The IIHMR University has over 500 plus research policies and studies in programme management and evaluation.

IIHMR University is working as a WHO Collaborating Centre for District Health Systems and designated as an Institute of Excellence by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has played a major role in promoting and conducting health policy and program management research. The IIHMR University conducts short term training programmes in Malaria and Reproductive Health, Primary Healthcare, Quality Assuarance, Human Resource Management, Information Management, Medical Audit, Programme Planning and Leadership and Strategic Management.

IIHMR University is the first in the country to start the MPH Progranme with the University of North Carolina earlier. The MPH Progarmme is offered by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA in cooperation with the IIHMR University.   

The IIHMR University has been appointed recently by the Government of India to conduct the NFHS4 survey in Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand. They have also been chosen as one of the agency to conduct the civil Birth Registration Survey to achieve Universal or 100% registrations across the nation.