Synopsis–Group Chief Operating Officer Anil Vinayak says this will also fasttrack the adoption of other technologies in the delivery of healthcare in 2021. Greater consolidation in private healthcare, driven by patients seeking out
If 2020 was the year hospitals and healthcare were in the spotlight more than ever, it was also a time when patients feared stepping into the same institutions unless they had no choice. It is this threat perception that the healthcare industry hopes will dissipate with the rollout of the vaccine and mass immunisation in 2021, leading to the return of patients and procedures that had been deferred, known as “electives”, as well as foreigners seeking treatment in India.
This pent-up demand is expected to lead to a rebound in the sector in the second quarter of 2021. But considering the scale of the immunisation required in India, the exercise and its impact will take time.
As PwC’s healthcare leader Rana Mehta puts it, there is a huge difference between discovering a vaccine and having a population vaccinated. Expectedly, there will also be a lot of focus on the dynamics of delivering the vaccine. That apart, the pandemic had been a tipping point for the adoption of telemedicine and virtual consultations.
This acceleration will continue in 2021, say players. For instance, though in-person consultations have resumed at Fortis Healthcare’s hospitals, teleconsultations are continuing to grow, demonstrating that the shift is sustainable. Group Chief Operating Officer Anil Vinayak says this will also fasttrack the adoption of other technologies in the delivery of healthcare in 2021. Greater consolidation in private healthcare, driven by patients seeking out
WHAT LIES AHEAD
–There will be an increased focus on wellness, beyond hospital care
-Traction in telemedicine, virtual consultation will rise in 2021
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