ISHIQA MULTANI, president of the sagar group of hospitals, Aspires to create a gender-neutral workplace by encouraging inclusive world.

Sagar Hospital, Jayanagar, observed World Kidney Day on March 10. The event was organised by the Department of Nephro-urol-ogy, along with their specialists, to create awarness on kidney diseases among people.

Gender diversity in leadership roles is extremely important in healthcare assuming 50 per cent of the patient population is women. Ishiqa Multani, Executive Director, Sagar Group of Hospitals reveals more in interaction with M Neelam Kachhap

70 per cent of the healthcare workforce is made up of women, but less than 25 per cent are in leadership positions. Is this true for the Indian healthcare sector?

Women occupy few leadership positions in the healthcare sector. In an Indian context, I would agree with that assertion. The majority of women in healthcare play a lower-ranking role. Furthermore, as a woman, getting to the highest offices in healthcare takes a lot of work, given that there are more constraining factors that make it challenging for women to climb the ladder of leadership. Many of the C-Suite executives and department heads in healthcare organisations are men. A gender balance across levels is non-existent and will remain elusive unless proactive measures are taken to eliminate the obstacles that keep women from reaching leadership positions. Despite women occupying less than 25 per cent of leadership positions, an increase in numbers is not only possible but imperative for improving the diversity of leadership in the healthcare sector so that the system can realise its full potential for the benefit of employees and patients.

With the nation entering its third year battling the COVID-19 pandemic, Union Budget 2022 showcases the government’s focus on mental health and the push towards the digitisation of the healthcare sector. As noted by the finance minister in her address, the national vaccination program has made giant strides and, currently at 1.67 billion doses, helped mitigate the Omicron wave and withstand the long battle against the virus.

Building on the strengths of the National COVID Vaccination Program, the proposed spending of Rs. 15, 163 crores (for 2022-2023) for central schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY) and the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) shows that healthcare is seen as the necessary foundation for the economic health of the nation. This view reflects suggestions in Economic Survey 2020-21; as the annual health expenditure inches closer to the National Health Policy target of 2.5% of GDP by 2025 (budgeted expenditure reached 2.1% of GDP in 2021-22), out-of-pocket (OOP) expenses may decrease from 65% to 30% of the total healthcare spending.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a mental health crisis that has impacted people all over the world. Lockdowns have forced millions indoors, upturned daily lives and routines, and altered the school-education experience for a generation. The COVID crisis has tightened the link between depression and lifestyle habits – the association between disruptions to physical activity and mental health has never been clearer.

One demography has been susceptible to these non-physical impacts of COVID-19 in particular: young people. The upheaval of daily lives including a lack of physical contact with peers, seclusion at home, and for some, the loss of financial and emotional security has increased in youths the risk of suffering from mental health disorders.

BENGALURU: A 30-year-old Iraqi microbiologist, who lived with a tumour the size of a tennis ball in the heart, flew down to Bengaluru for medical help and was operated on recently.

Noor Hussain who lived with the life-threatening condition for more than a decade, travelled amidst Covid curbs. But the hassle was worth it, as the tumour was successfully removed.

Cameroon resident loses 11 kgs after bariatric surgery in Sagar Hospitals, Jayanagar. She was earlier suffering from high BP and blood sugar levels, which is now completely under control.