Mohammed Yoonus: Being At The Forefront Of Dynamic Healthcare Evolution
Mohammed Yoonus
CEO
Founded by Dr. C.P. Abdul Rahman and Y. Razia Rahman with a vision to promote and advance the health and wellbeing of the people of the region and beyond, Highland today is an epitome of compassionate healthcare while being home to one of the best Trauma and Emergency Departments, Laminar OTs and well equipped Intensive Care units under a single roof. Mohammed Yoonus, CEO, Highland Hospital, who joined this progressive journey as early as 1999, has been an instrumental aspect of the hospital being abreast of time and dynamic technologies while keeping the values and quality in tact. "The changes are a part of our constant endeavor to streamline our operations and bring a diverse gamut of healthcare services, all under a single roof, while primarily facilitating patient comfort, experience and convenience", he asserts. Below is the excerpt of an interview with Yoonus an exceptional leader and torch bearer of patient centric healthcare.
What inspired you to venture into the Healthcare industry? Also, having more than 22 years of experience in this domain, what drives you today?
As a teenager, I believed that the medical profession inspires our aspiration to help others while earning a living. My ambition to enter a medical college and earn a medical degree got shattered, but my wish to serve the people lingered in my mind. I considered that the Healthcare industry is one of the professions where we can touch the lives of others and make a difference, and hence I joined Highland Hospital as an apprentice after my graduation.
Innovation coupled with the highest quality standards and cutting edge
infrastructure has made Highland Hospital one of the most preferred and reliable healthcare destinations.Tell us about its unique healthcare facilities that keep it ahead of others.
If the Healthcare industry is to be considered, there seems no limit to the possibilities of technology and infrastructure. The Healthcare industry warrants innovation and technology at scale from time to time which is a challenge to any medium sized hospital. Highland Hospital has succeeded in delivering timely and accurate treatment at an affordable cost while constantly upgrading its infrastructure and equipment, which the current healthcare environment demands and deserves. Best treatment at affordable cost has been the main motto of Highland Hospital, and it has been serving the lower middle class of the society for the last two decades.
Highland Hospital has been successfully serving its clients since 1995. What are the unique strategies that the institution follows to maintain the decades old reputation?
The hospitals face a myriad of challenges in this modern healthcare environment to retain the target segment and maintain its reputation. We believe in cost reduction strategies without compromising the quality and patient satisfaction, and it has always been our essential resource that helped retain our patrons. We have demonstrated that successfully deploying cost reduction strategies to streamline processes while maintaining highquality patient care is not difficult to achieve. To ensure the accessibility of the best facilities to the more extensive section of society, we have introduced many affordable packages for most surgical procedures.
Being the CEO, how do you plan to further apply your exceptional understanding of this domain to Highland Hospital and take it to the next level?
I have a long term vision for the hospital, nurturing a culture that promotes a multipronged approach: early attainable, specific purposes of executing efficacious new strategies for the priority healthcare needs of the society. In Highland Hospital, we have formulated various strategies that include recruiting and retaining an efficient workforce, increasing revenue, managing costs, improving & optimizing processes & systems, and most importantly, delivering affordable healthcare services with maximum patient satisfaction.
How did Highland Hospital contribute to the welfare of society during the tough times of the COVID-19 pandemic?
As we all know, the first COVID-19 case was reported in India on January 30th, 2020. Subsequently, the Government of India declared a state of Health Emergency on February 3rd, 2020, followed by successive lockdowns. By mid of
If the Healthcare industry is to be considered, there seems no limit to the possibilities of technology and infrastructure. The Healthcare industry warrants innovation and technology at scale from time to time which is a challenge to any medium sized hospital. Highland Hospital has succeeded in delivering timely and accurate treatment at an affordable cost while constantly upgrading its infrastructure and equipment, which the current healthcare environment demands and deserves. Best treatment at affordable cost has been the main motto of Highland Hospital, and it has been serving the lower middle class of the society for the last two decades.
We believe in cost reduction strategies without compromising the quality and patient satisfaction,and it has always been ouressential resource that helped retain our patrons
Highland Hospital has been successfully serving its clients since 1995. What are the unique strategies that the institution follows to maintain the decades old reputation?
The hospitals face a myriad of challenges in this modern healthcare environment to retain the target segment and maintain its reputation. We believe in cost reduction strategies without compromising the quality and patient satisfaction, and it has always been our essential resource that helped retain our patrons. We have demonstrated that successfully deploying cost reduction strategies to streamline processes while maintaining highquality patient care is not difficult to achieve. To ensure the accessibility of the best facilities to the more extensive section of society, we have introduced many affordable packages for most surgical procedures.
Being the CEO, how do you plan to further apply your exceptional understanding of this domain to Highland Hospital and take it to the next level?
I have a long term vision for the hospital, nurturing a culture that promotes a multipronged approach: early attainable, specific purposes of executing efficacious new strategies for the priority healthcare needs of the society. In Highland Hospital, we have formulated various strategies that include recruiting and retaining an efficient workforce, increasing revenue, managing costs, improving & optimizing processes & systems, and most importantly, delivering affordable healthcare services with maximum patient satisfaction.
How did Highland Hospital contribute to the welfare of society during the tough times of the COVID-19 pandemic?
As we all know, the first COVID-19 case was reported in India on January 30th, 2020. Subsequently, the Government of India declared a state of Health Emergency on February 3rd, 2020, followed by successive lockdowns. By mid of
April 2020, India reported more than 10000 positive cases. As the COVID-19 pandemic began pacing up, a mountain of challenges was against the health care systems in India. Acute shortages of oxygen beds and emergency beds were reported throughout India. The pandemic continued to pose unprecedented challenges to the Healthcare system in India. The immense requirement for handling the COVID-19 outbreak challenged both the healthcare personnel and the medical supply system alike. Faced with the severity of the epidemic situation in Karnataka, in June, the Government of Karnataka permitted the admission and treatment of COVID-19 patients in private hospitals of Karnataka.
Emergency and disaster preparedness was a critical issue to the private hospitals. Most private hospitals could not cater to COVID-19 patients due to the lack of disaster preparedness of their emergency department and ICU. Keeping the protocols issued by the Government and World Health Organization regarding the management of critically ill COVID-19 patients, it has been perceived that many fundamental changes are required to be made in the existing emergency department and intensive care units to ensure safe management of COVID-19 patients. We managed to redesign the ICU and Emergency departments in a short period. The paramedics and nurses were taken into confidence along with doctors and provided necessary training to fight this pandemic. We ensured that there was enough life saving equipment, including ventilators, and procured a few on an emergency basis. The shortage of oxygen and drugs for COVID-19 was another challenge faced during the initial days of the pandemic outbreak, which we overcame by consulting various stakeholders, including district administration and the health department. The hospital was converted to a full fledged COVID-hospital during both pandemic waves. We ensured intact oxygen supply and availability of ventilated beds to every needy patient during the outbreak. More than 500 critically ill COVID-19patients were treated successfully at Highland Hospital during both waves.
Having spent so many years in this profession, what advice would you give to the upcoming leaders in this healthcare industry?
Learn as much as you can. Be a student and study as much as possible about the Healthcare industry and its challenges. Try to incorporate maximum what you have learned and see how it helps society.
Mohammed Yoonus, CEO, Highland Hospital
Hailing from the family of freedom fighters, Yoonus was born in Kerala and did schooling in Andaman & Nicobar Islands. He also holds a Diploma in Pharmacy, BBA from ICFAI, and MBA from the prestigious `The Open University, UK'. He is happily married to an English Lecturer and with three lovely daughters.
Hobbies:"I am a wildlife photo grapher and nature lover. I frequently visit wildlife sanctuaries of South India and Andaman & Nicobar Islands to photograph mammals and birds",he says.
Favorite Cuisine:Continental
Favorite Book:'The Hungry Tide' book by Amitav Ghosh
Favorite Travel Destination: Singapore
Emergency and disaster preparedness was a critical issue to the private hospitals. Most private hospitals could not cater to COVID-19 patients due to the lack of disaster preparedness of their emergency department and ICU. Keeping the protocols issued by the Government and World Health Organization regarding the management of critically ill COVID-19 patients, it has been perceived that many fundamental changes are required to be made in the existing emergency department and intensive care units to ensure safe management of COVID-19 patients. We managed to redesign the ICU and Emergency departments in a short period. The paramedics and nurses were taken into confidence along with doctors and provided necessary training to fight this pandemic. We ensured that there was enough life saving equipment, including ventilators, and procured a few on an emergency basis. The shortage of oxygen and drugs for COVID-19 was another challenge faced during the initial days of the pandemic outbreak, which we overcame by consulting various stakeholders, including district administration and the health department. The hospital was converted to a full fledged COVID-hospital during both pandemic waves. We ensured intact oxygen supply and availability of ventilated beds to every needy patient during the outbreak. More than 500 critically ill COVID-19patients were treated successfully at Highland Hospital during both waves.
Having spent so many years in this profession, what advice would you give to the upcoming leaders in this healthcare industry?
Learn as much as you can. Be a student and study as much as possible about the Healthcare industry and its challenges. Try to incorporate maximum what you have learned and see how it helps society.
Mohammed Yoonus, CEO, Highland Hospital
Hailing from the family of freedom fighters, Yoonus was born in Kerala and did schooling in Andaman & Nicobar Islands. He also holds a Diploma in Pharmacy, BBA from ICFAI, and MBA from the prestigious `The Open University, UK'. He is happily married to an English Lecturer and with three lovely daughters.
Hobbies:"I am a wildlife photo grapher and nature lover. I frequently visit wildlife sanctuaries of South India and Andaman & Nicobar Islands to photograph mammals and birds",he says.
Favorite Cuisine:Continental
Favorite Book:'The Hungry Tide' book by Amitav Ghosh
Favorite Travel Destination: Singapore