INTRODUCTION
Hospital administration has become one of the most lucrative careers in the fast-growing field of the health sector for graduates willing to serve humanity. As the health sector is booming day by day from the perspective of globalization, the demand for hospital administrators has increased tremendously.
Health Administration/Management is going to be the top ten millennium professions, according to a recent Indian survey. A large number of private hospitals and clinics have come up all over the country. With increasing emphasis on quality of health care and patient satisfaction, there is a tremendous need for persons with a professional qualification in Hospital Management. The healthcare concept in India has undergone a tremendous change in recent years. People have become increasingly aware of the importance of healthcare, and this has led to higher expectations and increased demand for a high quality of medical care and facilities.Hospital administration is concerned with planning, organizing, staffing, coordinating, controlling, and evaluating health services for the community to provide maximum patient care of superior quality at a low cost to reduce morbidity and mortality. Administration or management is a science and an art like medical sciences. Professional hospital administrators have proven how institutions can be managed efficiently, economically, and effectively in a targeted period.
Health care administration or hospital management provides management skills for the delivery of healthcare services. Doctors and medical specialists have so far been managing hospitals and health centers, without possessing the necessary managerial training. Moreover, it takes away precious time required by doctors to carry out their medical responsibilities. Therefore, of late, most large and medium-sized hospitals have specially trained professional hospital administrators with a management team responsible for the management of the healthcare services and medical staff, for planning and control, for a continuous supply of materials required for research and clinical work, and so on.
This is an exciting time for healthcare management. Healthcare is changing more rapidly than almost any other field. The field is changing in terms of how and where care is delivered, who is providing those services, and how that care is financed. Healthcare management requires talented people to manage the changes taking place. In their roles, healthcare executives have an opportunity to make a significant contribution to improving the health of the communities their organizations serve.
NATURE OF WORK
The work of hospital administrators is challenging, responsible, and demanding. Hospital administrators manage hospitals, outpatient clinics, hospices, and drug-abuse treatment centers. In large hospitals, there may be several administrators, one for each department. In smaller facilities, they oversee the day-to-day operations of all departments. Administrators make sure hospitals operate efficiently and provide adequate medical care to patients. They act as liaisons between governing boards, medical staff, and department heads and integrate the activities of all departments, so they function as a whole. Administrators recruit, hire, and sometimes train doctors, nurses, interns, and assistant administrators. Administrators plan budgets and set rates for health services. In research hospitals, administrators develop and expand programs and services for scientific research and preventive medicine. In teaching hospitals, they aid in the education of new doctors. Administrators plan departmental activities, evaluate doctors and other hospital employees, create and maintain policies, help develop procedures for medical treatments, quality assurance, patient services, and public relations activities such as active participation in fund-raising and community health planning. Hospital administrators work long or irregular hours. Hospitals are open round the clock 24/7, and administrators may be called in at any hour to make decisions and resolve disputes. Administrators also attend staff meetings, participate in health planning councils, go to fund-raising events, and travel to professional association conventions. They need to keep up with advances in medicine, computerized diagnostic and treatment equipment, data processing technology, government regulations, health insurance changes, and financing options. While doctors strive to keep the blood flowing and the heart beating, the hospital administrator is doing his job in keeping the hospital alive and healthy.
The work of hospital managers, therefore, includes the recruitment and management of other staff, the maintenance of the Hospital and services other than medical services, accounts and finance, marketing and communications, and security. Hospital managers work from the premises of the Hospital and need to be physically present in the hospital complex. They need to walk around the Hospital and monitor the different services. They also need to maintain good communications with the management and staff of all departments, doctors and medical specialists, para-medical staff, health worker and ensure the well-being of all patients.
Besides an understanding of the functions of the different departments, hospital managers should be familiar with financial operations, personnel management, purchase of materials and storage, organizational development, and patient care.
PERSONALITY
Anyone opting for a career in hospital administration should have a blend of some unique qualities like innovation, responsibility, self-motivation & devotion towards humanity. To be a successful healthcare professional, a person requires a service-oriented bent of mind, high emotional quotient, and the ability to work for long hours. The sector also offers prospects of global recognition, with medical tourism becoming more widespread. Service to man is service to God should be the motto of a hospital administrator.
Because health services and medical managers are responsible for hundreds of employees and costly equipment and facilities, they must be able to make effective decisions, interpret data, and understand information systems and finance. Strong leadership skills are necessary to motivate and execute their choices. Communication skills, diplomacy, flexibility, and tact, are critical because of their constant interaction with people.
PRE-REQUISITE
For making a career in Hospital Administration, the individual may be from a medical or non-medical background. Pre-requisite for a career in hospital administration is graduation (medical/non-medical) and a degree/diploma in Hospital Administration.
PROFESSIONAL COURSES
There are many courses available in the field of Hospital Administration for both medical and non-medical persons e.g., Bachelor of Hospital Administration/Management (BHA/BHM) after 10+2/XII standard, Post Graduate Diploma in Hospital Administration (PGDHA) after graduation, Master of Hospital Administration (M.H.A.) or M.B.A. (Hospital Administration) after graduation, as well as M Phil & Ph.D. (Hospital Administration) after MHA/MBA/PGDHA.
The primary objective of the courses is to impart training to medical and non-medical students to empower them to deliver world-class healthcare with a service focus. Indeed, there is an excellent need for excellently trained hospital administrators who can provide and maintain high standards in healthcare.
The program combines training in management skills, management principles, accounting, and business communication, along with specialized knowledge on the working of a hospital, marketing of hospital services, and logistics management. You also get to know about primary healthcare and nutrition, prevention of infectious diseases, community health, and other medical-related services.
CAREER PROSPECT
The career prospects for the young graduates and postgraduates in Hospital Management are excellent. It is a well-known fact that hospitals, healthcare organizations are to be managed professionally like any business entity creating surplus for survival and growth. The emerging health insurance sector adds to the prospects of these professionals. The scope indeed is large enough to provide ample job opportunities.
Healthcare is a business and, like every other business, it needs proper management to keep it running smoothly. The term “medical and health services manager” applies to those professionals who plan, direct, coordinate, and supervise the delivery of healthcare.
No wonder large companies like Apollo, Wockhardt, Max, Fortis, Tata, and Medica are setting up state-of-the-art hospitals and clinics across the country for providing multi-specialty healthcare services. Moreover, due to the high costs and shortage of doctors for medical treatment in the West, India is emerging as an alternative center for medical treatment All this action translates into growing opportunities for healthcare professionals, not just doctors, nurses, and technicians, but managers and administrators as well, who have an understanding of general management and its application to the healthcare delivery systems
So if you are good with people, have patience, tact, and communication skills, you can look at a fulfilling career as a manager or consultant with a hospital, nursing home, or clinic, working to help people with medical problems. With some experience, you could also set up a nursing home or Hospital.
REMUNERATION
The average starting salary for Hospital Administrators varies from Rs 12,000 to Rs 1 lakh per month, according to the Institute and designation. There is no constraint in higher remuneration for deserving candidates.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Employment opportunity is excellent in the field of Hospital Administration if you select an excellent course and Institute. Because of the growing health services industry, the employment of health services and medical managers is expanding day by day. Increasing opportunities will be found in large corporate hospitals private/govt, Clinics Consulting firms, Health insurance organizations, Healthcare associations, Nursing homes, Mental health organizations, Public health departments, Rehabilitation centers, Universities, and research institutions.
Today, an estimated 100,000 people occupy health management positions at numerous organizational levels, from department head to chief executive officer. Requirements for senior-level positions in healthcare organizations are demanding, but these jobs also offer opportunities to improve the system of caregiving. Thus, the overall conclusion is Hospital Administration is not only a career rather a chance to serve humanity.
Hospital Management as a profession in context to Tripura
In the current scenario of Tripura the Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Tripura, delivers Preventive and Curative health care services to the people of the State. Keeping in view the need for further up-gradation of service , Improvement of Health Parameters to achieve the Millennium Development Goal, development of Health infrastructure, development of human resources, accountability of service providers, and gender balancing have been made the main approaches to the 11th Five Year Plan. The priority area to be addressed in the field of health care services is to bridge the gap in health manpower and infrastructure as also to develop manpower through medical education. Two separate directorates have been established to achieve the goals.
There are three State Hospitals namely
Agartala Government Medical College & Hospital
Cancer Hospital (upgraded recently as Regional Cancer Centre) and
I.G.M. Hospital in State Head Quarter at Agartala.
There are two District Hospitals, one in the name of R.G.M. Hospital at Kailashahar, North Tripura District, and the other in the name of T.S. Hospital at Udaipur, South Tripura District.
In Tripura, there are 11 Sub-divisional Hospitals, namely
Kishangarh Sub-divisional Hospital,
Melaghar Sub-divisional hospital,
Khowai Sub-divisional hospital under West Tripura District,
Amarpur Sub-divisional hospital,
Belonia Sub-divisional hospital,
Sabroom sub-divisional hospital under South Tripura District,
B.S.M. (Kamalpur) sub-divisional hospital,
Longtarai Valley Sub-divisional hospital,
Gandacherra Sub-divisional Hospital under Dhalai District,
Kanchanpur Sub-divisional Hospital and
Dharmanagar Sub-divisional Hospital under North Tripura District.
State Government is encouraging Private Parties to establish Health Infrastructure in the State as part of the Private Public Partnership Initiative (PPPI). At present, Tripura has two medical Colleges of which one is a state government-run Agartala Government Medical College and G.B. Panth teaching Hospital, and the other is registered Society run Tripura Medical College and Dr. B.R.A. Memorial Medical College and Teaching Hospital. One B. Sc. Nursing College at Dr. B. R. A. M. Hospital Complex is running under Private Public Partnership Initiative (PPPI) and one Paramedical College, Namely Tripura Institute of Paramedical Sciences (TIPS). At present, 719 Health Sub-Centres are functioning in the State, though the Health and Family Welfare Department has already proposed the establishment of A.D.C. village wise Health Sub-Centre across the State.
Regarding Private health Infrastructure, Presently, there is one multispecialty Hospital ILS, Agartala. Apart from this, there are several nursing homes, private clinics, and diagnostic infrastructure available in and around Tripura.
Tripura is going to be the next business hub in upcoming days as connectivity with nearby country Bangladesh is going to be increased via bus and trains.
Presently National Health Mission in Tripura offers employability to hospital administrators to different sub-divisional hospitals.
Recently Honourable Chief Minister Manik Sarkar already confirmed the need of professional hospital administrators in the Tripura health care sectors to minimize the incidence of negligence and for effective management of the existing health care services.
So Tripura seems to have a lot of potentials, and peoples from outside are bound to come to Tripura, which provides ample opportunities for employability and investment in the field of Health also. Thus a sharp increase in the health infrastructure will provide employability for the hospital administrators both in government and private sectors.
Conclusion
From the above facts and figures, it implicates that hospital administration will be an emerging profession in the upcoming days which provides enough employability both for undergraduates and postgraduates, who have a passion for serving the health fraternity.
