IIM Sirmaur, AIIMS Bilaspur to start centre for healthcare management

NEW DELHI: Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Sirmaur is set to start a dedicated research centre for healthcare management at the institute by November 2023.

“We had a meeting with the board on August 22 where a proposal to set up a Centre for Healthcare Management and Innovation (CHMI) was approved. It will be funded by some of the pharmaceutical companies located close to our campus. It will also offer specialised courses, too,” said Prafulla Agnihotri, director, IIM Sirmaur.

The institute is currently in talks with All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bilaspur to collaborate for hands-on training of students. The IIM plans to offer a week-long healthcare executive management development programmes (MDP) in collaboration with AIIMS Bilaspur.

“The proposed collaboration aims to work together to offer programmes for incubation and ideation centres, start-ups, and centres of excellence to promote entrepreneurship and innovation. With expert faculty members from IIM Sirmaur and the healthcare professionals from AIIMS, Bilaspur, we look forward to facilitating the exchange of experiences and opinions for mutual benefit and implementing joint social initiatives,” said Kiran Kumar Paidipati, IIM professor who will co-chair the centre with two other faculty members.

IIM, AIIMS: healthcare research, consulting

Agnihotri said that the centre will focus on healthcare research and consulting. It will broadly focus on healthcare management. The centre will strive to fill the paucity of rigorous healthcare research in India on Indian context from a management perspective. “My interaction with stakeholders shows that this industry requires professionals. Students from our region have to travel all the way to Mumbai and other places to get this experience and education. If we are able to provide it here locally, it will benefit not just the students but also small hospitals in the area,” he added.

Research areas including immunity and nutrition, correlation, outcomes, tuberculosis and nutrition coexistence and rehabilitation and vitamin deficiencies and after-effects will be a part of the centre.

Apart from research, the centre will offer MDPs and long duration programmes (LDPs) on healthcare management and hospital administration. Certificate programmes such as healthcare analytics, healthcare operations and hospital administration will also be offered soon at the centre.

For collaboration on funding, Agnihotri said that local industry partners have shown interest in establishing the centre. The institute currently has a centre for sustainability and environmental management.

Apart from IIM Sirmaur, IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Udaipur have their own centres for healthcare management.