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Thursday, 10 August 2017 00:36 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Charumini de Silva
A pioneer in the country’s private healthcare, Durdans Hospital is gearing to step into new horizons with the launch of its ‘Vision 2022’, to tangibly transform the landscape of healthcare in Sri Lanka.
The Durdans 2022 strategy is aimed to realign emerging socio-economic trends in Sri Lanka and global healthcare scenario with a major infrastructure and remodelling program commencing in Q1 of 2018.
With the repositioning of its corporate brand, culture, mindset and approach, it was pointed out that the remodelling comes at a time when Durdans, foresees the potential for growth in the country’s healthcare sector locally and globally.
“The repositioning of our corporate image through our brand dynamic, which encompasses our fundamental values and promise of ‘Dedicated to you’, is about the way Durdans sees healthcare of the future,” Durdans Hospital Chairman Ajith Tudawe told journalists in Colombo on Wednesday.
He noted that this journey however is multi-faceted which is why they have also re-strategised their business model and launching Vision 2022 in tandem.
It was pointed that the ambitious redevelopment and remodelling project will address the state-of-the-art up scaling with cutting edge technology to ensure modernity and sustainability.
According to him Rs. 1 billion has been invested for a multi-storied split-level car park for approximately 200 parking slots, which will be opened for its customers next month.
“The quality care we have extended to our patients over our 70-year history has been augmented in the last 22 years with our delivery of exceptional medical services across an unprecedented range of specialties,” Tudawe said adding that they have promoted world class standards of care via the latest medical advancements and our Centres of Excellence are comparable to the best in South East Asia.
“Our next world class introduction is the investment infused into the latest Phillips Bi-plane machine for interventional radiology which we intend to position as a Centre of Excellence. It will be the first time in South Asia and we hope to have it in October,” the Chairman announced.
Durdans Hospital Strategy and Business Development Head Rakshitha Tudawe said they find the hospital in a unique position to define the future of Sri Lanka’s private healthcare and country’s global reputation as a hub of medical excellence.
“The entire landscape is about experiential healthcare rather than interactive healthcare. The repositioning of Durdans will also add benefits to each of our stakeholder segments, increasing brand equity and shareholder values as our delivery promise is being further strengthened. Stakeholders will benefit from aligned systems, structured guidelines and a unique voice,” he stressed.
Noting that branding is not just having a fancy logo he said it depicts the culture, story and a promise to its customers. “Durdans is now visually depicted via a nurturing hand denoting the core values of care and humanity, supporting the letter ‘D’, which suggests trust and pride in its strong boldness.”
Tudawe also said the repositioning program will help them to change the perception of healthcare in Sri Lanka, noting that there is potential for the country to become a hub for medical tourism.
However, he stressed that it was important to have the right infrastructure, with road networks, accessibility and a steady influx of tourist coming to Sri Lanka in order to be a hub for medical tourism.
Durdans Hospital Medical Services Director and Chief Operating Officer Dr. Wimal Karandagoda said Durdans Hospital was Sri Lanka’s first healthcare institution to be endorsed with a Gold Seal of Approval by the world’s leading accreditation entity, Joint Commission International (JCI).
“We have exceptional clinical staff, nursing care and high-tech theatres to provide best healthcare service in Sri Lanka,” he stated.
Acknowledging that hospital wastages are hazardous Dr. Karandagoda assured that its waste are disposed according to the JCI standards and maintains high standards in terms of cleanliness as well as environmental impacts.
Durdans Hospital Laboratory Operations Head Mahanil Perera said they have expanded its laboratory services from 20 locations to 56 locations at present and is in the process of further enhancing its services with 15 new centres within this financial year.
The laboratory services are located across the country in categories such as medical centres, sample collection centres and laboratories.
“To assure high quality and standards as well as to avoid mistakes, we have adopted cutting-edge technologies to our laboratory services with minimal human intervention. We are keen on expanding our services to the rural areas in future,” he added.
Durdans Hospital, is the oldest private sector healthcare institution in Sri Lanka, has in its history of over seven decades, evolved its unique brand of healthcare to ensure continuous value addition in multiple competencies, that today have numerous pioneering initiatives added to its expansive healthcare portfolio.
Currently housing one of the largest integrated ISO 15189:2012 certified urban laboratory networks in the country and five medical centres, structural changes envisaged for Durdans to become a purpose-built hospital will see bed count increase from 274 to 400, segmentation of patients for customised specialty care and a move from tertiary to quaternary healthcare with focused investment in single disciplined Centres of Excellence, best medical practices and clinicians possessing super specialties.
As is characteristic of the Durdans mindset, all infrastructure evolutions will be benchmarked to international standards, meeting its brand promise of excellence in care.
