Siemens 2013 Annual Report Download - page 39

How would you assess Medanta’s development today, four
years after its inauguration?
Dr. Naresh Trehan: Medanta’s development has been outstanding in every
respect. We’ve increased the number of beds from 400 to nearly 1,500. Our
technical equipment ranges from the most advanced X-ray systems to innova-
tive linear accelerator technology for cancer treatment. As a result, our
healthcare offerings are now at the highest level. But we’re still working to
continuously improve.
You want to offer outstanding medical services and, at the
same time, provide more people with access to affordable
healthcare. Isn’t that a contradiction?
Dr. Naresh Trehan: In the U.S., a coronary artery bypass operation costs about
US$40,000. In Europe, the figure is around US$25,000. At Medanta, the
same operation costs less than US$4,000. We can provide the operation at
that price because labor costs in India are lower and because we work much
more productively than our colleagues in the West. In India, heart surgeons
perform an average of more than 600 operations a year – in some cases, up
to six times the number performed by their counterparts in other countries.
Our advanced medical technology solutions from Siemens and our optimized
IT infrastructure are further key factors.
What are the challenges facing healthcare in India?
Dr. Naresh Trehan: Our situation – like so many others in India – is paradoxical.
On the one hand, we have outstanding hospitals that attract large numbers
of patients from abroad. India has taken a leading position here, and I’m
naturally very pleased about that. But on the other hand, even though our
services cost only about a tenth or a twentieth of what they do in the West,
they’re still not affordable for the majority of India’s people – particularly
those in rural areas.
What are you doing to master this challenge?
Dr. Naresh Trehan: At Medanta, we’ve made world-class medical treatment
affordable for more people. And we’ve launched The Healthy and Educated
Village Program to foster healthcare and medical expertise outside the cities.
We’re training personnel to provide medical treatment and education in villages,
and we operate a mobile clinic to serve rural areas. Siemens has provided us
with cancer diagnostic equipment. We use it to examine people in rural areas
free of charge and refer them, when necessary, to local hospitals. In my opin-
ion, access to medical services in India has improved considerably in the last
five years. I’m confident that, within the next ten years, we’ll be providing up
to 50% more patients with access to high-quality healthcare.
Why did you decide to partner with Siemens?
Dr. Naresh Trehan: I have a high regard for the quality of the company’s medical
systems and its services. It’s unbeatable. We’re 100% certain that Siemens
products won’t let us down. I also have a high regard for the company’s char-
acter. When Siemens wants to sell us something, they send one person. But
when it’s a question of providing services, they send us four. And I appreciate
that very much. In addition, the company gives us opportunities to cooperate
in joint research projects in order to develop technologies that meet our
requirements – also in terms of cost.
 – Dr. Naresh Trehan has per-
formed more than , heart
operations in the course of his
professional life. He conveys
his knowledge and extensive
experience to colleagues at his
own hospital, Medanta.
 – Medanta is located about 
kilometers from New Delhi’s inter-
national airport – another reason
for its attractiveness to patients
from all across India and outside
the country.
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