SPOTLIGHT
to jump-start a COVID-19 treatment facility in a matter of days. Leveraging equipment and supplies we had procured for the Lagos hospital, we supplied 10 fully-ventilated ICU beds and other equipment to help outfit one of Nigeria’s only emergency COVID-19 treatment facilities, which was situated in a local sports stadium. Thankfully, we have come a long way since the early days of the pandemic, and we are proud of how our teams responded. We continue to implement preventive measures to ensure the safety of employees and patients and our hospitals and clinics follow strict protocols. OFQ : What is the role of the private sector in the provision of healthcare in emerging economies? MC: Healthcare systems in emerging economies face an increasing burden to provide care to growing populations – public funding alone is not enough and governments struggle to cope with the costs. This is where the private sector comes in - private health services are crucial in complementing public healthcare in rural areas and historically underserved communities by providing access to quality healthcare. Private sector investment also stimulates competition, which often drives down prices and improves quality. In India, for example, the private sector provides healthcare for 80 percent of out-patients and 46 percent of in-patients. The private sector also offers training for healthcare workers, constructs hospitals across the country and implements continuous research and development. OFQ : Can you tell us about your impact, how do you measure and report? MC: A positive, quantifiable impact is part of our business model. Our impact is comprehensive and encompasses healthcare, environmental, social and economic benefits. With our facilities we bring patient-centered care to traditionally underserved communities. In the last 12 months alone, we served over 3.6 million patients across our network of hospitals, clinics, and centres in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kenya and Nigeria.
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We are committed to social initiatives and contribute to addressing the specific needs of vulnerable groups such as women and children. Massimiliano Colella, Evercare Group, Chief Executive Officer
Photo courtesy of Evercare Group
retention of medical professionals locally and address outbound medical tourism. We are committed to social initiatives and contribute to addressing the specific needs of vulnerable groups such as women and children. Our hospitals in Kenya and India, for instance, serve lower-income patients enrolled in public insurance schemes. We also contribute to the overall economic growth in our markets. It’s important to note, too, that nothing would be possible without ultimately providing our shareholders with sustainable financial returns. We measure our impact and regularly report to our stakeholders and partners.
We ensure that our hospitals provide high-quality care by implementing world-class procedures overseen by clinical governance committees. More than half of our hospitals are accredited to quality standards, and we aim to have a 100 percent accreditation rate by 2023. In Kenya, we launched the Evercare College of Health Sciences offering a comprehensive spectrum of classes for doctors, nurses and administrative staff, including for external professionals and graduates. This helped contribute to the
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