Ameera Shah

With 35 years of experience in delivering accurate reports, Metropolis has earned the reputation of being Indias leading and only multinational chain of diagnostic centres with presence in UAE, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, Mauritius and Ghana, Ameera Shah, Managing Director and CEO, Metropolis Healthcare Ltd, in an interview with Elets News Network (ENN) says the company wants to grow to 2,000 centres and about 200 labs in the next three years. Excerpts:

What are your expectations from the government on the policy front?

Government should spend more on healthcare sector. GDP (Gross Domestic Product) contributes very small percentage for the healthcare. If the government spend increases, it will hugely encourage the healthcare sector as a whole.

Which government steps will further push the healthcare industrys growth?

Healthcare is one of the important sectors in the country. There are various regulations such as custom duty on medical devices and import duty on medical equipment.

The Government should minimise some of the restrictions and tax incentives to push the sector growth.

What are your plans for the year ahead?

We started off very low; there was no brand, no regulation, and no commonality in pricing. The healthcare condition was worse than it is today. We transformed the industry in many ways. We changed an uneven and unorganised industry to create a chain of reputed diagnostic centers.

Today, Metropolis Healthcare Ltd is present across Sri Lanka, Africa and the Middle East. Our main aim was to expand in emerging markets that do not have proper access to healthcare.

We are more aggressive on our expansion plans.

We are looking for three-four markets for expansion. Currently, healthcare industry growth is 10%. We are eyeing 10-12% growth the coming year.

We currently have about 1,200 centres and 150 labs. In the next three years, we want to grow to 2,000 centres and about 200 labs.

How do you see e-health landscape evolving in India?

Healthcare in our country has certain issues in terms of lack of easy access, lack of consumer knowledge, high cost and too many middlemen. All these have led to a scenario where there is a reduction in the effectiveness of the healthcare system.

India will see an evolution in the e-health space more in terms of technology, thereby, providing consumers with better access to quality knowledge and healthcare solutions. Through ease of access to information and health services such as e-diagnostics and e-pharmacy, people from remote locations can also have access to quality healthcare without excessive cost.

How will the introduction of GST affect the healthcare industry?

The introduction of GST will affect more on the healthcare sector. GST will affect more for patients and customers more.

Are you looking for any IPO launch?

While there have been numerous rumours, we havent made any decision yet.

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